Key West
by pattyrose
Summary: Bella is 5 minutes away from what's to be her happiest day - when a phone call changes it all. Frustrated and pissed-off, she embarks on a 10 day vacay to Key West, hoping for some space in which to clear her head, but when she meets the cocky, flirty and sexy-as-sin diving instructor, her plans take a much steamier turn. BxE Summer Short Story with M thru F updates. Rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everone! Hope you've all been enjoying your summer. Mine has been good so far, shuffling the kiddies back and forth between camp and summer activities and lounging by the pool any chance I get. **

**And speaking of lounging by the pool…**

**Sometimes you need a good, steamy story to keep you company while doing just so…;)**

**This one will be sixteen chapters, including an epilogue, and will update EVERY DAY MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. (NO UPDATES ON WEEKENDS). It will be ANGST-FREE.**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 1 Blessing in Disguise**

"Girl, get that garter higher up! Make that man hunt for that shit tonight!"

Alice rolls my lacey, baby-blue garter higher up my thigh, hitching it way past the white thigh-high under my long, white dress.

"Alice, you roll that thing any higher, and it'll be wrapped around my vajayjay."

"Isn't that the idea?" Rose says.

We all laugh. Behind me, Rose puts the finishing touches on my hair.

When Alice is done with her adjustments, I hook a finger under the garter, gazing at myself through the full-length mirror before me. My sleeveless wedding dress hugs my breasts and hips perfectly before flowing gracefully down to my ankles. Despite my petite height, the long, stiletto heels on my white Diors elongate my legs and give my calves a sexy curve. They won't show under my dress, but after the wedding…he'll see it _all_. I let the elastic garter snap against my thigh and then let go of the hem of my dress, watching it all fall into place. My light skin has a natural, rosy glow, enhanced by Rose's expert touch, and my long, auburn hair has been styled in an intricate up do of braids and loose spirals. A pleased grin spreads across my face, stretching wider when I think of tonight.

"Anyway, Mike'll probably be exhausted after the wedding and tonight's reception." I chuckle. "Poor guy won't have the energy to hunt for anything. I'll just show him exactly where everything is."

"You mean you're going to make it easy for him tonight?" Alice asks, looking horrified.

"Yeah," I say, shrugging my bare shoulders. "We'll both be too tired for games."

"Are you kidding me? Tonight's your wedding night, your first night as husband and wife! That man better fuck you within an inch of your life! I'm talking deviance, role-playing, he's the hunter, you're the prey, the whole nine yards!"

I glare at Alice through the mirror while Rose smoothes out my dress.

"Sure, Alice," I say. "I'd be willing to bet that you and Jasper didn't do all that on your wedding night."

"Then you'd lose – big time." She chuckles heartily.

"Alice is right, Bella," Rose says. "You'd better forget about how exhausted this wedding and tonight's party's going to leave you cuz if Mike's anything like Emmett was on our wedding night, Girl, you're going to be walking bowlegged for the rest of your honeymoon."

"Amen to that!" Alice says.

They both laugh hysterically.

"Ugh, I really didn't need to hear that about my brother."

"I'm sorry, but I've said it before, and I'll say it again," Rose says, "that brother of yours is hung like a-"

"Alright, alright!" I cover my ears. "Anyway, we've got our entire honeymoon for that."

"Oh yeah," Alice laughs. She closes one eye as if in deep concentration. "Hold on…I predict…that on that honeymoon…" – she opens up both eyes once more – "…you _will_ get fucked within an inch of your life!"

The three of us fall into hysterics once again. Laughing, I move in closer to the mirror, examining myself and the shade of nude Rose put on my mouth.

"I think I need another coat of lipstick," I murmur while my two best friends slash bridesmaids now compare honeymoon notes behind me. Walking to the makeup bag lying open on the vanity table, I see my cellphone resting next to it, and I light up the screen out of habit. There's a message from Mike, sent five minutes ago.

**Bella, I'm sorry, but I can't do this.**

My brow furrows, but then I relax them because I don't want any of those crack lines showing through my foundation.

**Hey, Hon. Can't do what?** I reply.

**I'm not coming, **he responds thirty seconds later.

"Mike, Honey, we don't have time for jokes," I mutter to myself as I type out my response.

**Mike, you need to hurry up. The ceremony starts in ten minutes!**

I set the cell phone down and turn around just as my mom walks into the dressing room.

"Oh my God, you look absolutely perfect!" she says, dissolving into tears.

"Mom," I smile while walking towards her.

"And the church looks perfect, and Mike is going to look just perfect! Everything's going to work out perfectly! I can feel it in my bones!"

More tears.

"Mom." I make to wrap my arms around her.

"Isabella Swan-soon-to-be-Newton, don't you dare touch your mother!" Rose warns behind me. "She's already a mess of mascara, and she'll get it all over you, and then you'll wrinkle your dress, and I didn't just slave over you for the past three hours for you to ruin it all before you're even down the aisle!"

"She's right; she's right!" Mom waves me off, her bottom lip quivering weakly while she drags a finger under each eye. "Stay away from me."

My cell phone vibrates, and Alice picks it up from the vanity, glancing at the screen.

"It's Mike," she says.

I huff impatiently as I take the phone. "Mike, the ceremony starts in five minutes! Where are you?"

"Bella…I'm not coming."

"Come on, Mike, that's not funny," I say, shaking my head. "You can crack jokes later at the reception. Right now, we've got over a hundred people waiting." My finger hovers over the 'end call' button.

"Bella!"

"What?" I snap.

"I'm not coming. I can't do this."

My body stiffens.

"Bella…I'm sorry. I just can't."

"What exactly are you saying?"

Rose and Alice must see something in my expression because they both approach me instantly.

"It was fun when we got engaged, all the preparations and planning, and then the honeymoon…but when I woke up this morning…Bella, I've been nauseous all day!"

"Then take some fucking Pepto and get your ass over here!" I hiss. "Look, you're nervous; I get it. So am I. But we'll have ten days in Key West after this to relax and shed all the months of stress-"

"Bella, what's going on?" Mom asks.

"Bella, it's not that! I don't want to go to Key West with you! I don't want to relax with you! I don't want to _marry_ you! I don't want to be your husband! I don't want to be with you anymore, Bella! I'M NOT IN LOVE WITH YOU!"

A sharp gasp escapes me, and cold dread seeps into my veins. Alice reaches for my hand, the corners of her eyes filling with moisture. Rose smoothes back my hair. My mom starts crying again.

"Mike, we've got over a hundred people outside," I say, my voice barely above a whisper, "and three hundred expected at the reception."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry," I say.

"Look, you'll thank me for this later. I'm saving us both here."

I snort. "Really? Saving us. You're not the one who's going to have to announce to a church full of expectant wedding guests that they spent hours sifting through a wedding registry for nothing and then trekked all the way over here to waste even more of their time."

"I'm sorry."

"You're sorry."

"Bella…" I hear him sigh on the other end. "I'm going away for a while. Maybe you should do the same. Take those honeymoon tickets and-"

"And what?"

"And…just…go clear your head. Trust me, after you get over the initial shock, you'll see I'm doing the right thing - for the both of us."

"What do you know about doing the right thing? What do you know about me?"

"Not enough, Bella. That's the problem."

And then, the line goes dead.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Anyway, this will post again tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, etc., through Friday. Then we take a break for the weekend, and start again. :)**

**This will also post simultaneously on **_**fiction pad.**_

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**See you all tomorrow!**


	2. Ch2 First Sighting: Red Board Shorts

**A/N: Good Morning! Loved hearing your guys' thoughts to Chapter 1! Yes, Mike was an A-hole to leave Bella at the altar. One reader mentioned that Bella would probably have grounds to sue his butt, but…let's see; soon, she may be too busy to bother. :) **

**And who knows; maybe…just maybe…Mike DID do her a huge favor. ;)**

**And speaking of maybe he did her a favor, let's get on with Chapter two, shall we?**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 2 - First Sighting: Red Board Shorts **

The warm, tropical breeze that whisks through my hair provides only slight relief from the heat and does absolutely nothing to stem the droplets of moisture gathering on the nape of my neck. A small family of herons circle above me before landing a few feet away; their long legs tap lightly on the stamped concrete around the pool, and their croaking voices compete with the steel drum beats from the band playing under the tarp-covered cabana. There's a drink - some yellow, fruity concoction Rose ordered for me about an hour ago - on the small, side table next to me, melting in the hot sun.

I sigh deeply and nestle deeper into my pool lounger.

"Bella, we're in the nicest resort in Key West. Put away the Kindle," Alice says. She snatches my e-reader away and stuffs it inside her pool bag, glaring at me while she sips on her tropical cocktail.

I close my eyes and tip up my face towards the sun. "Oh, don't worry. I'm _thoroughly_ enjoying my honeymoon. Good job with the predictions, Al."

That shuts her up.

"You know," Rose says after a pause, "you're not really that heartbroken."

I turn my head sideways to look at her, but she's got her face tilted upwards too. Her long, blond hair already looks a shade lighter, and we've only been here a half day. She holds her drink in one hand, little flakes of mint and lime swimming around as she twirls it around and around. A trio of guys pass, and their eyes practically pop out of their sockets as they take in her bikini-bodied glory.

"Rosalie, you're my sister-in-law and I love you, but you have no idea how I feel right now, so do me a favor and shut it."

She sighs, and with the grace of a movie star, removes her dark shades so she can pierce me with those aqua blue eyes of hers.

"You're right, Bella. I don't know exactly how you feel, but I know you're not heartbroken. You're pissed off is what you are."

"Damn right I'm pissed off!"

"And if your brother had ever left me at the altar," she continues, "I probably would've been pissed off too. But first, my heart would've shattered into a million pieces, my lungs would've imploded, I wouldn't have stopped crying for weeks and weeks, and then much later, _after_ all that, that's when I would've gotten pissed off."

"This _is_ true," Alice says.

I shift my eyes from one to the other. "What are you both saying, that because there's nothing I'd rather do more right now than cut off Mike's dick and feed it to the dolphins, I'm not really heartbroken? Because I'm too angry to cry, this situation is _okay_?"

Rose lifts a brow. "Of course I'm not saying any of that. You've got every right to want to turn his dick into fish food. He fucking jilted you five minutes before you were supposed to speak your vows, that asshole. But…maybe…" - she shrugs those bare shoulders of hers that have about a couple dozen tongues panting right now - "…maybe…he was right."

"_What_?"

"Bella, Honey, what Rose is trying to say is that maybe…you and Mike…weren't really that deeply in love."

I stare at both of them for one long minute while the steel drums slowly morph into a soothing calypso rhythm.

"We dated for two years. We worked together. We shared the same interests, the same outlook on life. Don't tell me I didn't love him."

"Bella, let me ask you something," Alice says. "Are you having a hard time breathing right now?"

"What?"

"Are you breathing okay?"

I look down at my chest to make sure everything's in place. "Uh…yeah?"

"Sweetie, if Jasper and I ever broke up," she says, "I don't think I'd be able to breathe again – at least not for a long, long time."

My brow furrows.

"What we mean," Rose says, "is that even though we're here without our husbands for the next ten days, enjoying the shit out of the kick-ass accommodations that you and that prick were supposed to share on your honeymoon, if Alice or I knew that it was over between our husbands and ourselves, we'd feel like there was absolutely no air in our lungs because Emmett and Jasper take our breath away, Bella, in every possible way. _That's_ the difference between loving and being _in_ love."

I draw in a deep breath, releasing it slowly and deeply, and yeah, I've got to admit, my lungs are working just fine.

"Look," Rose continues, "yes, Mike deserves to die a slow, painful death, but maybe he was right when he told you to come on this vacation and just clear your head."

"And you're not going to clear your head by burying it in that Kindle for the next ten days," Alice adds, eyebrow raised.

"So what do you suggest for head-clearing?" I ask, pursing my lips.

"Girl, now I may be married," Rose says, "but I ain't blind. Take a good look around here!"

With a deep breath from my fully-operational lungs, my eyes sweep the perimeter of the large, resort pool. Various men of different ages and stages litter all around. Some are obviously taken, probably enjoying their honeymoons the way I was supposed to be doing right now; some are by themselves or hanging with their buddies, and many…yeah, a whole lot of them keep glancing our way.

And then the three guys who were drooling over Rose a short while ago catch us looking. They talk lowly amongst each other and with quick nods, start heading our way.

"Ugh." I scowl. "The last thing I want to do on this vacation is hook up with some fucking guy."

Alice giggles. "No one's talking hooking up. I mean, Rose and I may be off the market, but we can still chat and have a couple of drinks."

They're not bad-looking dudes. Hot actually. Nice bodies, and they can carry on a pretty decent conversation. After about a half hour, they ask us out for drinks, and I politely decline. Rose and Alice admit they're happily married, and just like that, it's just the three of us again.

"Well, you were both right; that was _exactly_ what I needed." The sarcasm in my tone is admittedly pretty thick. "I'm going back to the room now. Alice give me my Kindle," I say and make to stand up.

"Come on, Bella!" Alice says. "It's not even dinner time! Let's do something fun!"

"Like what?" I say. I try to keep the frustration out of my voice because these are my girls. They should be back home in New York with their husbands. Instead, they're here making sure that I don't commit suicide and drown myself – something I have no inclination to do, by the way.

I'd rather drown Mike.

Meanwhile, Alice's eyes scan the pool area, and I follow the trajectory of her gaze.

Just beyond the pool lies the pier and marina, pushing up against the blue waters of the Atlantic. Or is it the Caribbean here? I don't really know.

"Hey, I heard there are a couple of Catamarans that dock out there and do sunset cruises. That sounds like fun, right?" Alice asks.

I shrug. "Thrilling."

"Well, I'm going to go find out what time they take off," she says.

With a sigh, I drop my head against my lounger again and close my eyes. By the time Alice returns about twenty minutes later, I've fallen asleep.

"We were supposed to sign up early in the day, so we missed the sunset cruises for tonight. I signed us up for one of the morning snorkel cruises though."

I yawn loudly, eyes still closed. "Alice, I'm tired. I just want to sleep in tomorrow morning."

"Bella," Rose says, "we're not going to let you read or sleep away this vacation. You need to clear your head so that by the time you return to New York, you'll feel at least a bit better. Otherwise, you'll have that shit stuck in your head for months."

"Fine, whatever, whatever," I say. I sit up and drain my warm and melted drink, grimacing at the taste. "I'm going to change for dinner."

I tie my white sarong around my waist to cover up my white bikini, adjust my white shades, and walk away.

And though I know I'm being a cranky bitch, my girls walk right along with me.

OOOOOOOOOO

The three of us take showers and change for dinner.

As Investment managers, Mike and I make good money, so we could definitely afford the best, and hey, it was our honeymoon. We'd reserved the honeymoon suite, but as soon as my girls and I arrived this morning, we asked the concierge for a room change. So now instead of the Honeymoon Suite with the massive, king-sized bed, en-suite Jacuzzi, Italian-marble-tiled bathroom and square footage upon square footage where we could honeymoon-fuck 'til sun-up, Rose, Alice and I now have a beautiful three-bedroom, three-bath suite that will in all probability be a fuck-free zone for the next ten days.

We dine alfresco at one of the restaurants along the pier facing the marina. More Caribbean music plays in the background because though we're not technically in the Caribbean, Key West is the southernmost part of the U.S., and we may as well be in the tropics.

I just wish I wasn't too pissed off to enjoy it more. I wish I didn't have this…angry ache.

But the breathing? It's happening just fine.

OOOOOOOOOO

The next couple of hours pass surprisingly pleasantly. We have a delicious dinner and a couple of good, stiff drinks. Halfway through our meal, we've got a decent buzz going that turns the paper lanterns hanging all along the crowded pier into giant, mutated diamond engagement rings, sparkling and glowing with their nefarious light. The tourists' voices and laughter sound louder than they did just a couple of hours ago. From our table, we can see them all strolling along, enjoying the night breeze and the billowing palm trees.

My mind wanders – to Mike.

To how much I hope he's in fucking agony wherever he is right now.

I tell my girls this, and we toast to it. Eyes glazed over as I picture the huge tears that, if there's any justice in this world, should be streaking down Mike's face right about now, I vaguely see a tall, white sail in the distance. My eyes focus in and out, in and out as the sail moves closer and closer…

When we're done, we exit the restaurant and join the throng of people strolling down the marina.

"Hey, let's take a walk down Duval Street and check out the galleries and museums," Rose suggests.

I shrug, but after a few feet, I stop.

Rose and Alice stop, and look at me.

"You two go on, I'm going to walk around here."

"You sure you're okay? Not too buzzed?" Alice asks softly.

"I'm fine," I say. "I just want to be by myself for a bit."

"We don't have to worry about you jumping off the marina, do we?" Rose asks.

I roll my eyes. "I'm not suicidal, just murderous," I grin wryly.

"Okay," Rose smiles.

OOOOOOOOOO

I walk off in the opposite direction, people-watching, smiling at those who make eye-contact, rolling my eyes at lovers strolling by hand-in-hand, woefully unaware of how fickle love truly is.

The catamaran whose sail I saw earlier has docked. Bright lights hang off of its sail and mast, making it glow amidst the dark waters. Some people are debarking, wearing life-vests and swimsuits. There are three guys in red board shorts and a girl in a red, one-piece bathing suit - the staff. The loud blare of reggae music coming from on-board mixes with the noise and voices of everyone else on the marina. It's all pretty loud and jumping, and if I were in a better state-of-mind, I'd be having a grand old time.

One of the guys in the red board shorts stands at the bottom of the platform from where the boat's passengers debark. He's facing away from me, and the lights from the catamaran and the lanterns around the marina reflect off of his bare, muscular back. The board shorts ride low on his lean hips, exposing a sliver of pale, white skin, just above his nicely-shaped ass. The rest of him – strong arms, muscular back, and athletic legs - is sun-kissed golden.

I hear some giggling. "Help us off?"

"It would be my pleasure, Pretty Girls."

A couple of the female passengers grin widely in the low light, both sets of eyes intently on the sun-kissed, red-board-shorts-wearing staff guy, the one with the golden skin. He takes the first one's hand to help her off the boat, and she giggles all the way down. When he takes the second one's hand and begins to assist her off the platform, she suddenly stumbles a couple of steps down and lands smack against his chest, also giggling her heart out.

"Oops! Thank goodness you caught me!" she says, her flimsily covered tits pressed tightly against him.

"I would never let you fall," Red Board Shorts says. "It'd be bad for business."

He's got this voice. It's smooth and husky all at once.

"Besides…" His voice drops too low for me to be able to eavesdrop the rest of the sentence as I walk by them, but whatever he says sends the girl into an all-out, enraptured, fascinated, delighted tail-spin. She throws back her head, laughing and laughing.

Meanwhile, I lean against the railing just a few feet away, staring out into the now black ocean – Atlantic or Caribbean, I still don't know.

"We had a great time!" one of the girls says. "It was the best sunset rum cruise ever!"

"It sure was!" the other girl agrees.

"Well, we aim to please – in _every_ way."

Yet more giggles. I roll my eyes.

"Do you have any room left on tomorrow morning's snorkel cruise? We'd love to come on that one."

"I'd certainly love to see you both come on that one..."

They both giggle yet again – pretty salaciously at that one.

"…and yes, there are actually a couple of spots left. Want me to give you both a squeeze on there?" he asks.

"Oh my God, yes. We'd _love_ for you to give us a _squeeze_ on there." Cue giggle. "Do you take cash?"

"Cash or credit, either is fine. We're pretty flexible all around."

"So are _we_."

"I'm sure you are."

Giggles.

I can't hold back the loud snort that erupts from me.

Their momentary silence makes me think they probably heard me. After some shuffling and murmuring, one of the girls says,

"Alright then, I guess we'll see you again tomorrow morning…_Edward_."

She breathes the name huskily, all _Marilyn-Monroe-Happy-Birthday-Mr.-President_ like, no lie.

His voice is pure honey when he responds. "Alright. I'll see you tomorrow…uh…uhm…"

"Jessica," she says.

"And I'm Lauren!"

"Yeah, yeah. Jessica and Lauren."

They giggle one last time before I hear them scurrying away.

I smirk to myself as I gaze at the lights reflecting off of the ebony water.

A couple of minutes. I entertain myself by counting bubbles in the water and inhaling the fishy-fresh scent wafting off of it. A breeze blows on my neck, only it doesn't feel like the night breeze…more like…someone's warm breath.

"Someone as beautiful as you shouldn't be here staring out at the water all by herself."

Out of my periphery, I see a pair of red board shorts just to my left.

I keep my eyes on the ocean. "I'm waiting for my husband."

There's a short silence.

"I don't see a ring," he says.

"It's back in our room. Too big to wear out in public."

"Oh yeah?" He chuckles. "That must be some kind of rock."

"It is."

He nods. "Explain to me why your husband lets his beautiful wife wander around without him."

"Because we're independent people who can enjoy a night out on our own as well as together."

He seems to ponder that for a couple of heartbeats.

"So tell me, Beautiful, what are you guys doing in Key West?"

The next words just slip out. "We're on our honeymoon."

"On your honeymoon, and you're already spending time apart?" He snorts. "I don't know how well that bodes for the rest of your marriage. I'd rethink that whole commitment there if I were you."

His words catch me off guard. I look over and up at him.

He's tall and has the greenest eyes I've ever seen. Even in the dark, they shine and sparkle. His hair is windblown and full. I can't tell exactly what color it is, but it's light and sun-streaked along his temples and forehead. His nose is straight and angular like one of those Greek gods. I take in full lips that are twisted in a wry grin and a jawline you can take a ruler to.

And he's still shirtless.

His six-pack calls to my eyes, but I force them to resist.

"Lucky for me, I don't make a habit of taking marriage advice from catamaran tour operators, who apparently flirt with any and all females within close proximity."

His brows shoot up – full brows that would look too bushy on any other face, but on him, they so work.

"Lucky for me, I'm not _just_ a catamaran tour operator, I'm the best in Key West and a certified deep diving instructor too."

"Are you now?" I can't help smiling at his cockiness.

"Yeah," he says smugly. Then he moves in closer. "So if you ever need lessons…"

"Lessons?"

"Yeah."

"Deep diving?"

"Yeah." He rests his forearm over the railing casually, perfect lips twitching while he holds my gaze, and I try my darnedest not to ogle that bare chest. "I'd love to teach you how to deep dive. How to hunt for treasure. How to _explore_."

"Would you?"

"Yeah. I'm the best there is at going down and going deep…"

"How…deep do you go?"

"As deep as I can."

"How deep is that?"

"It all depends."

"On what?"

"On how deep you want me to take you."

His voice has dropped low, eyes sparkling wickedly and lips once again twitching, pouting and unpouting over and over.

I'm incoherent for about ten seconds.

"Well, thank you, but as good as I'm sure you are at going deep, I think I'll pass, _Edward._" I find myself breathing his name in much the same way Jessica did a few minutes ago, and at this point, I can't even blame her.

His green eyes widen.

"And now I think it's time I get back to my husband."

"I thought you were waiting for your husband."

"There must've been some sort of miscommunication."

"I'm sure there was," he chuckles.

But I just smile and turn around, walking away as calmly as I can manage though my heart sputters in my chest. I've got to clench my inner-thigh muscles tightly to keep from coming on myself.

"Hey, Beautiful, since you know my name, I think it's only fair I know yours," he calls out.

I stop and turn around. "You already know it," I grin, remembering all the times my dad has reminded me what my nickname means in English. "But _you_ can call me…_Mrs_. _Beautiful_." And with that, I turn and resume my escape.

His deep chuckles reverberate all the way down the pier.

And strangely enough, I'm having a hard time breathing.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**I'll see you all tomorrow for our snorkeling cruise. ;)**


	3. Chapter 3 All Aboard

**A/N: Morning all!**

**So what are we thinking about DeepDiverWard?**

**There WILL be a chapter in EPOV later on in the story, but for now, let's get to know him a bit better, shall we?**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 3 – All Aboard**

"Wake-up, Sleepy Head."

True to their word, Alice and Rose wake me bright and early the next morning.

"Alice, _please_." I burrow my face deeper into my soft, pillow. "Just let me sleep."

"No way, Babe." She sits on the edge of my bed, smoothing my hair out of my face. "We're going snorkeling this morning."

I groan. "Alice, those drinks last night were stronger than I'd realized. I've got a bit of a headache going on."

"We've got Tylenol," I hear Rose call out from somewhere.

"And you're interrupting a really good dream," I mutter. "I was in the clear, blue waters…deep sea diving…"

"Deep sea diving?" Alice snorts. "Well, come on, then! Time to make that dream reality!"

Since apparently they've got answers for everything, I'm forced out of bed, and after washing up, Rose comes to help me pick out what to wear.

We decide on yet another _white_ two-piece. About three-quarters of the clothing I've brought with me seem to be white. I'd figured that hey, it was my honeymoon, and I'd be sporting a tan that would look great in white. Well, I'm working on the tan, but the honeymoon was a definite no-go.

Anyway, this particular swimsuit has a bunch of '70's fringe going on and all these strings that have to be tied just right at my back and on each thigh unless I want to put on a skin show. To break up the white, Rose lends me her blue sarong. Twisting two ends around and around and then crisscrossing them in front of me before tying them behind my back, she turns the simple sarong into a sexy, tropical dress that bares my newly-tanned shoulders and legs. Then I slip my feet into my white, jewel-encrusted flip-flops, and we're off.

After a quick breakfast at the restaurant, we head for the marina. There are three catamarans out here this morning, one on each end of the pier, and one smack in the middle, right in front of our resort. While they all seem to be really nice boats, the one in the middle of the pier definitely trumps the others. It's bigger and newer, shinier; the sun's rays bounce off of it as if it's being heralded by the heavens.

"That one's ours," Alice says, pointing to the middle catamaran.

"_Eclipse_," I say, reading the name off the side of the boat. Then I smile. "You would pick the biggest one."

"What can I say? Size matters."

"Sure does," Rose agrees.

"Not necessarily. I mean, just because something is smaller doesn't make it less enjoyable."

Rose stops and stares at me. "Oh, Baby, if you really believe that, thank God that marriage didn't pan out."

They both cackle while I glare at them. Alice throws an arm around my shoulder.

"Honey, come on, you know we're just trying to cheer you up."

"Yeah," Rose says. We continue forward until Rose comes to another abrupt stop.

"Holy mother of perfection…"

The catamaran is pristine white with blue and red stripes running all along its sides, port to starboard. Right in the middle, there's an oval circle with _Eclipse_ written in large, red, cursive letters that have been made to look like waves. The name is also on the tall, majestic sail.

It _is_ beautiful, but I don't think any of that is what's caught Rose's attention.

The guy casually leaning against the platform railing leading up to the catamaran is wearing dark Ray-Bans and a white t-shirt with the boat's logo over his chest. Red board shorts rest low over his hips, and a pen is nestled just above his ear. He cradles a clipboard in one lean, muscular arm.

It only takes me a moment to remember that I was deep-sea diving with this guy late last night and early this morning...

In my dreams.

"Fuck," I mouth, closing my eyes for two seconds as we approach. I'm grateful I've got on my own dark shades as I try my best to hide behind Rose's five foot ten frame and Alice's much shorter five foot two frame.

"Morning, Pretty Ladies," he says.

I swallow thickly because yeah, that's the voice that invaded my nocturnal fantasies alright.

"Well a good morning to you too!" Rose responds with the sort of energy usually reserved for mornings when you've found out that you've hit the Lotto - or that the guy who left you at the altar keeled over after a sudden heart-attack.

"It is now. Names please, Pretty Girls," Red Board Shorts says, and though I'm not looking, I can picture him making that sexy pout that makes his lips twitch.

Alice moves forward, leaving me in the back by myself.

I turn around in a one-eighty as scenes from last night bombard me…the sexy flirting…first with _Jessica_…then with me even though I'd told him I was married…and those eyes…and those pouty lips…and that jaw…and that _chest_…

I seriously contemplate running.

"Three reservations!" Alice says with that same misplaced excitement and energy Rose just displayed. "Alice Hale, and Rosalie and Bella Swan."

"And which one are you?" he asks, again with that velvety voice. "No, don't tell me. Let me guess."

Alice giggles.

"You look like a sweet fairy tale, so I'd say you're Alice," he says, and Alice giggles once again.

"And you definitely look like a pretty Rose." This time I hear Rose's pleased giggles.

Oh brother.

"And finally…"

My heart races as I force myself to turn around.

He takes his shades off, and those eyes…

"You…" he says. "You are definitely _Bella_ through and through. Good morning, _Mrs. _Beautiful_."_

I recall having asked him to call me "Mrs. Beautiful" last night, and in the light of day, without a couple of good, stiff drinks under my belt, it doesn't sound quite as cutesy coy. It sounds pretty stupid actually.

Meanwhile, his eyes rake me over from top to bottom and back again, and all the while, he's got this crookedly smug grin going on. And that jaw…

I urge my facial muscles to smile. "Good morning, Edward."

"You know him?" Alice asks.

"Yeah," Edward says. "We spent some time together last night while she waited for her…_husband_."

"Your _husband_?" Rose rests her hands on her curvy hips.

"Yes, my _husband_!" I say.

Rose lifts a brow. When I look over at Edward, he's got his arms crossed over his chest, which just emphasizes his biceps, and I wonder to myself if he's doing it on purpose at the same time that I decide that of course he is.

"So tell me, _Mrs_. Beautiful," he says, his lips doing that twitchy thing again, "where's _Mr_. Swan this morning?"

_Think quickly!_ I tell myself, but I'm still in jaw awe, so it's a full five seconds later when I say:

"He's not into snorkeling."

Edward lifts one of those perfectly thick brows. "Really? How about deep diving, is he into that?"

Rose snorts. "Funny you should ask, _Edward_." She doesn't breathe his name in that movie starlet manner that Jessica and I did last night, but she does go for the drama. "We were just commenting on how Bella's…_husband_…apparently doesn't have the necessary equipment to dive that deeply."

Alice breaks out into laughter.

Edward's lips twitch again.

"And _I_ was saying," I glare at Rose, "that sometimes you can make do with the equipment you have."

"No way, Beautiful," Edward says, shaking his head calmly. He holds my gaze. "You can never just make do. You either have the right equipment for deep diving, or you don't. And if you're happy to just make do…well, then you've obviously never been taken that deep, which is a real shame because there's a lot you're missing."

"_That's_ what Alice and I said," Rose grins.

Edward chuckles. Meanwhile, Alice looks like she's about to pass out from laughter, and I'm ready to kill a couple of bitches and a cocky, catamaran tour operator slash deep diver - with a great jaw.

"_Mrs_. Beautiful…Beautiful Bella…Yeah, I like that more," Edward says, and then out of nowhere, he reaches out and nervily removes my shades off my face. His hand skims my cheek, and my body tenses as a little thrill tickles the pit of my stomach.

And then a loud, shrill voice rings out behind us.

"Edward! Yoo-hoo! Edward!"

I turn around just as Jessica-from-last-night runs up the platform - in six-inch stilettos. She's got on a two-piece as well, except her sarong is fluorescent pink and is tied around her waist flimsily, and her matching, fluorescent pink top is about three letters too small for her Double-Ds.

She walks right up to Edward, past my girls and I and practically knocks us overboard with those girls of hers. Thank God there's railing around the platform, or we'd be in the Atlantic (or Caribbean) right about now.

"_Sooo_ looking forward to snorkeling with you," she breathes in that crappy Miss Monroe imitation of hers.

Edward smiles and looking down at his clipboard, replaces his shades over his eyes. He's still holding mine though.

"Looking forward to having you on board. Name please?"

"Uh, Jessica Stanley. I was on the sunset rum cruise last night, remember?"

He looks up at her. I can only imagine what those green eyes of his are really looking at through those dark lenses as he grins that panty – or in this case, fluorescent bikini bottom – melting grin of his.

"Ah, Jessica. 'Course I remember you. Where's your friend?"

"Uh…Lauren couldn't make it. Are we taking off soon?"

"Looks like you were the last one we were waiting for then." He clicks his pen closed and affixes it to the clipboard. "Please make yourself comfortable, but you'll have to remove those shoes before you board my boat. Those heels'll poke a hole right through the floor."

She moves in closer to him. "Yeah, but if we sink," she whispers pretty loudly, "you'll have to rescue me."

Half his mouth quirks up. "While I'd love to play the hero, sinking would be bad for business. Heels off, please."

She giggles and reaches down to remove one heel, then bounces on one foot as she removes the other – which causes her significant endowments to bob and rebound like a couple of basketballs.

Edward keeps right on grinning.

"Sure, _Edward_. I'll take off whatever you want me to before I board your…_boat_."

"Just the heels for now would be great, thanks." He gives her another grin. I think I hear her whimper.

Finally, Jessica and her _girls_ move on while my girls and I follow. As I pass him, his hand reaches out again, and I expect he's going to return my shades. My body tenses, waiting warily (and honestly a bit eagerly) for the contact.

This time though, the electric thrill that runs up my body is startling. For a second, I think he's actually thrown me over the platform and proceeded to do me right here.

I look down, and incredibly, he's only linked our fingers together.

I look back up at him.

He removes his shades again, searing me with those damn eyes. And that jaw…that jaw is doing dirty things to my insides.

"Where were we, Beautiful Bella?"

"You were giving me back my sunglasses," I say, raising a brow – but keeping my fingers tangled with his.

"In a sec," he says. "First, let me get a better look at those eyes. It was too dark last night…"

I swear, he just gazes straight into my eyes, his mouth doing that twitchy thing yet again.

"A bit of a smooth operator there, aren't you, _Edward_." My voice isn't as steady as I'd like to pretend I feel. "And pretty forward too." I wiggle my trapped fingers.

Those green eyes sparkle in the sunlight. In the bright sun, his hair is a mixture of bronze and natural, blond highlights. He's got the most gorgeous blond hairs on his honey-tanned arms and man oh man…

"They're just fingers, Love."

"I don't think my _husband_ would approve of the finger-action...or the nicknames."

When he straightens, my head tilts backwards as I strain to hold his intense eyes. He inclines his head, moving in closer to my mouth while I stand there like a deer trapped in green eyes. And just as it seems like "just fingers" may turn into more, he averts my lips and instead, leans into my ear.

"Beautiful Bella," he whispers so close to my ear that I feel his lips on my lobe, "if you think that _this_ is finger-action, then your husband can't possibly be doing his job at keeping you entertained on this honeymoon of yours. Maybe _I_ can help with that."

My breath hitches. I meet his eyes again. He grins.

"My deep diving offer still stands."

Again I find myself clenching those muscles between my legs before I end up a sopping mess.

"Edward! _Oh Ehh-dward!"_

That sing-songy call breaks me out of the voodoo spell I seem to have fallen under. I get on my tip-toes and look over Edward's strong, wide shoulders. Sure enough, Jessica is approaching us quickly.

When I look up at Edward, he snorts.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'm well entertained," I grin, unfurling our intertwined fingers and pulling my sunglasses out of his other hand. "Besides, it looks like you'll have your hands full providing entertainment on this excursion." I hold my hands out in front of me, palms up and curled as if I'm supporting a pair of heavy tits.

He chuckles heartily.

And with that, I make my way onto the boat.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**There were a couple of questions about B & E's ages. It'll be said specifically in the story soon, but as reference, they are both in their mid to late twenties.**

**Thanks so much for all your thoughts/reviews guys. I'm having a great time reading them, and will continue trying to get back to as many as possible!**

**Next chapter, we go snorkeling. ;)**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**See you all tomorrow!**


	4. Chapter 4 Private Snorkel Lesson

**A/N: I've gotta say, I LOVED reading your reviews to the last chapter. Most of you are really enjoying Eddie's frisky innuendos, and about three-quarters of you are ready to pop one of Jessica's silicones yourselves, LOL!**

**Anyway, I know a lot of you are wondering what Edward's real deal is. This story is only 16 chapters, so you won't have to wait too long to find out. :)**

**Ready for more DeepDiverWard? Here we go!**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 4 Private Snorkel Lesson**

Once onboard the catamaran, I make my way to Rose and Alice. They've already laid beach towels out on the bow, and their cover-ups have come off. I remove my own large, plush towel from my beach bag and spread it out next to theirs.

"What. The hell. Was that?" Rose asks.

"What are you talking about?"

"You didn't tell us you spent the night flirting with that hot-ass guy!" Alice hisses.

As calmly as possible, I untie my sarong and sit over my towel. Then I fold the sarong and place it back in my bag, removing a water bottle, my straw, beach hat, sunscreen and Kindle. I'm severely tempted to roll the cold, water bottle over my flushed face and overheated vajayjay as an attempt at cooling off after my encounter with Edward, but Rose and Alice are eyeing me way too closely.

"I didn't spend the night flirting with him." I spray sunscreen on one arm, then the other. "We spoke for about five minutes, if that."

"Well those five minutes certainly seemed to have made an impression on him. He can't keep his eyes off of you," Rose says.

I snort and roll my eyes, handing Rose the sunscreen, so she can do my back and shoulders. "He's a flirt. He was flirting with Big Boobs there and a friend of hers last night, and then _after_ they left, he figured he'd kick it to me."

"So?" Alice says.

"So…" I frown. "Only God knows how many women he sweet-talks on a daily basis, and I didn't come here for that."

"No. No, of course not," Rose says, massaging the sprayed sunscreen onto my shoulders. "Why would any self-respecting, _completely_ single woman come to Key West and flirt with one of the hottest guys to have ever walked the planet? Much better to come here for the culture instead."

I roll my eyes again.

"And why the hell would you tell him you're married?" Alice asks.

"Because he's a player! I mean, look at him!"

All three sets of our eyes move behind us to where Edward is standing talking to Jessica – again. He must feel eyes on him because he looks up and sees us, and with that sexy, lopsided grin on his face, he winks.

My heart jumps.

"You see?" I say.

"Oh yeah, the guy winked at you. Let's throw him overboard," Rose says dryly.

"First, he didn't wink at me, he winked at us, and he knows that we're married. What does that say?"

"It says you're stupid if you think he's winking at us; he's winking at you," Alice says. "And you're even stupider if you think he buys that crappy lie of yours for a second," she chuckles.

I look back at Edward – who's still looking our way by the way - while Rose sprays the sunscreen on my lower back, spreading it around with the pads of her fingers, and for a second, it's _his_ fingers I feel along the grooves of my spine, trailing lower…finger-action indeed...

Then Jessica lays a hand on his chest and throws her head back in laughter. Edward grins…

But his eyes are still on me.

OOOOOOOOOO

As we leave the marina, Edward struts to the front of the catamaran with the rest of his crew. The four of them hoist the sails, Edward in front, his muscles working and straining while he pulls and pulls.

"Oh God," someone squeaks behind me. When I turn around, Jessica is spread out on a towel, watching Edward and desperately fanning herself.

Edward welcomes everyone to Key West and the _Eclipse_ - of which he's the owner and captain, of course. He claims that the _Eclipse_ is 65 feet long, the longest catamaran tour boat in Key West, and then introduces his mates: Seth, Jared, Paul, and Tanya, the beautiful, blond female. He tells us that we'll be sailing for about seven miles to the coral reefs. During the trip, there will be refreshments available in the shaded lounge area below deck – non-alcoholic drinks are served as we sail to the reefs, but on the way back, once everyone is safely on board, there will be plenty of beer, rum and wine floating around.

Edward meets everyone's gaze as he goes through his speech. The breeze blows through his magnificent head of hair, but his eyes continually find mine, and his lips pout and twitch in that way of his. I hear whispers and murmurs all around me, from both female and male passengers; everyone is entranced by this man's body and velvet voice - and by the cocky look on his face, he knows it.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Enjoying yourself so far?"

I open my eyes. I'd almost been lulled to sleep by the wonderful, ocean breeze kicked up by the boat's movement.

Edward is stooped in front of me. He takes off his shades, and I take off mine before lifting myself up on my elbows.

"I am."

He makes no effort to conceal the hungry gaze of his green eyes all over my body.

"You're a very forward man," I reaffirm.

"You're a very beautiful woman," he grins.

I sit up and curl my legs under me. "There are many beautiful women on-board."

"There are, but none like you." Half his mouth quirks up, which leads to a return of the inner-thigh-muscle-clench.

"Like me in what way?"

"I'm not sure," he shrugs. "But there's something…maybe it's your eyes…"

"That such a load of crap," I chuckle.

He laughs. "It does sound like one, doesn't it? But it's not."

"How often do you use those lines? Weekly? Daily?"

He laughs again. I stare at the way the sun plays with his eyes, the way he bites his lower lip when his eyes fall to my breasts and bare stomach and legs. I should be offended, but all I am is super grateful that Rose and Alice made me join the gym with them to get ready for The Wedding That Wasn't.

"You like my eyes, huh?" I smirk.

He snorts. "Would you prefer I pretend I'm not looking at you?"

"Or you can just keep your shades on and check me out on the sly the way you were doing with Jessica."

He chuckles heartily, but doesn't confirm nor deny the statement. "So it's not my checking you out that bothers you; you'd just rather I do it on the sly."

I don't answer him because I'd be lying if I said I didn't want him to check me out, and I'd be lying if I said having him do it so openly isn't turning me the fuck on.

So instead, I say, "Like I said before, my husband wouldn't approve."

"And like _I_ said before," he smiles, "if you're husband isn't doing his job, then I've got no problem stepping up." His lips twitch. "Keep sunning yourself, Beautiful Bella. We'll play this game your way: I'll keep my shades on and pretend I'm not looking…" – he leans into me, his nose skimming my hair while his warm lips ghost against my sensitive earlobe – "...but you know I will be."

And with that, he puts his shades back on and walks away.

OOOOOOOOOO

About an hour into our sailing, we arrive at our destination, which is a good thing because I need a distraction; my body has been on tense alert since I boarded this darn catamaran. Every time I look up and see Edward with his shades on, I swear I feel his eyes on me. He's messing with my head; I know he is.

And damn if it's not thrilling.

Edward orders the anchor dropped. The volume of the calypso music is turned down so that he can talk to us about the reef we'll be snorkeling around and remind us not to actually touch it. After safety precautions and an intro to the sea life we may encounter, he and Tanya go into a demo.

"Do we have any volunteers to demonstrate how to wear the life vests?" he asks, holding up a vest.

"I volunteer!"

Once again bouncing up and down, Jessica's right hand shoots high up in the air. Edward turns her around so that her back is against his chest, and then he holds the jacket open for her, so she can stick her arms through. He reaches around and buckles it for her, and some childish part of me finds myself imagining her left tit bursting. I'd bet my toes that she's already wetter than she's gonna get at any point in the ocean.

"Now this strap goes right between your legs." He drops the strap behind Jessica. "Reach down and grab that strap and buckle it in front of yourself."

I swear, when she opens her legs and reaches down for the strap Edward is holding behind her, she closes her eyes and shudders, her mouth forming a big, fat "O."

"There you go!" Edward grins. "Does anyone else need help with their life vests?"

About thirty hands go up.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Once we're all geared up, Edward and his crew drop a set of stairs from below deck that lead straight into the water – or we can go overboard, he says, whichever way we feel most comfortable.

"What do you say, Girlies?" Rose asks. "Stairs or overboard?"

"I'm gonna vote stairs here, Rose," I say, eyeing the steps with determination.

Then I feel someone's warm breath behind me.

"What's wrong, Beautiful Bella? Scared of a little jump?"

"She may need a bit of a prod," Alice says.

"Does she now?" he says. "I'd love to give her a good prod."

I turn around to say something smart, but I can't for the life of me remember what it is when I see Edward shirtless. Not even his jaw is enough to keep my eyes from trailing down to his toned and tanned chest. He's got a blond, happy trail disappearing into his red, board shorts.

"See, you can be forward too," he says, grinning impishly because of course, he sees where my eyes go.

"I'm taking the stairs," I say, turning back around to try to hide the tell-tale flush on my face.

"Bella, come on!" Alice says. She runs to the open side of the boat and jumps, calling my name as she falls.

"Bellaaaaaa!"

Rose laughs and follows suit.

"Bella!" They chant from the water. "Bella! Bella! Bella!"

I laugh and look back at Edward.

He lifts a brow. "I promise I'll catch you."

"Is that supposed to encourage or deter me from jumping?"

He snorts, and before I can decide either way, he runs to the side of the boat and dives in headfirst, lean, toned arms straight out in front of him, palms pressed together and pointed, like someone who's done this a thousand and one times. I look over the side, and when he resurfaces, he shakes the water out of that glorious head of hair, and I swear, the entire boat cheers as if he just saved a whale.

With a cocky grin on his face, he looks up at me, and I laugh again despite myself.

"Come on!" he calls out. Rose and Alice swim nearby, echoing his words. "I'll catch you!" he repeats.

I'm about to jump, really I am, but someone shoves me out of the way, and the next thing I know, Jessica is falling and landing right into arms that were supposed to be waiting for me.

"You caught me, Edward! Ooh, you caught me! That was so much fun!" Jessica squeals. "Let's do it again!"

I look down at them and can't really hear what Edward responds.

And then I turn around and take the stairs.

OOOOOOOOOO

It's beautiful out here; aqua blue waters so clear you can see straight to the bottom.

Alice, Rose and I make our way around the surface, our masked faces in the water and snorkels in our mouths. Colorful schools of fish swim past us, and though we're enjoying them, I'd love to go deeper and get a better look at the coral reefs I can see further down, but I don't dare, and neither do Rose or Alice.

The crew has put out a few floats, and after more than a few fish sightings, the three of us grab a float and just chill, drinking the virgin punch Jared handed out and kicking our legs lazily behind us.

I close my eyes again, and it's like he can hear me thinking of him.

"Want to dive closer to the reefs?"

I turn around. He's floating vertically right behind me.

"I'm just a beginner snorkeler," I say.

"That's alright. I won't let you drown. Promise." His lips twitch.

"You promised you'd catch me before too," I tease him.

"I would've," he nods, "if you would've jumped."

"You seemed to have your hands full." I want to do the Heavy Tits palm thing again, but I'm holding the float with one hand and my drink with the other.

He gets my meaning though, chuckling. "So…coral reefs?" he repeats.

I'm not sure why I hesitate. Like Rose and Alice said, I'm on vacation, and the most gorgeous guy ever wants to flirt with me.

"Just take her, Edward," Alice answers for me. "She was just saying how she'd love to see the reefs."

His grin widens.

"Okay, okay," I smile. "Coral reefs sound fun."

OOOOOOOOOO

When Edward tells me I've got to take off the life vest, I balk.

He laughs. "It'll keep you floating-"

"I know!"

"-and we're going down, Love."

I sigh heavily, my eyes on his while I unbuckle my life vest. He helps me out of it, and then whistles loud through his teeth. Seth appears at the side of the boat. Edward throws my life-vest up and Seth reaches out and grabs it.

"Ready?" he asks me, reaching out for my hand.

I draw in a deep breath. "Ready."

We swim away a few yards, with me in front and Edward right behind me. Every time I turn around, he tells me "keep going." The music and everyone's voices begin to fade. Pretty soon, it's all just background noise. I hear me breaking through the water; I hear Edward's smooth laps behind me.

"Alright, stop," he says softly.

I stop and paddle my fins wildly underwater to remain afloat and swallow thickly when Edward's arm snakes around my waist underwater. He holds me against his chest. It's wet and smooth and hard all at once. I'm sure he can feel my heart tripping over itself.

"Stop kicking; I'll hold you up. You're going to need your strength to dive down."

"How far are we going?" I ask warily.

"That's up to you, Beautiful Bella."

At this point, I'm honestly not sure if _everything_ he says has a double-meaning.

He smirks. "If you were a certified diver, and if we had proper diving equipment, we'd be going a lot deeper. As it is, we won't go too deep at all. Are you good at holding your breath?"

"I'm alright, I suppose."

"Okay, I'll only keep us down for about twenty seconds at a time. That sound good?"

I shrug. "I guess, but how much can we actually do in twenty seconds?"

"You'd be surprised at how much we can do in twenty seconds," he says, smiling. Of course my brain turns it into something else. However, I forego a return comment because my chest is heaving excitedly, both for what we're here to do, and for how tightly Edward is holding me, and my nipples rubbing up against his is kind of too distracting to encourage a plethora of words.

"Put on your mask, and hold on to me, okay? I won't let you get hurt. Promise."

I nod, wide-eyed and put on my snorkeling mask. He adjusts my straps for me before putting on his own mask.

"Ready?"

Once more, I nod, and Edward grabs my hand and dives headfirst, pulling me down with him.

We kick our legs and dive down, and though my heart is in my throat, there's also a smile on my face because it's like I'm in that Disney movie with the orange fish and blue fish and their colorful underwater world. We swim through peach-hued corals and yellow sponges and blue anemones. Then we swim back up for air.

"That was kick-ass!" I exclaim breathlessly.

He laughs. "You okay with the breath-holding?"

"Yeah," I say excitedly. "I could've gone a little longer."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, I'll keep us down for an extra ten seconds then. Ready?"

We dive down again, and this time, a school of Nemos swim by, and I'm fascinated. On our next dive, Edward takes us around a bend of underwater plants and points at a school of large, pink jellyfish swimming towards the surface; their long antennas are waving in the water. A sea turtle passes and Edward swims us close to it, taking my other hand and pressing it to the turtles back. I laugh aloud as the turtle scurries away slowly, and I hear Edward laugh in response. He guides us back up.

My heart races. I'm not sure if I've ever experienced anything as spectacular in my entire twenty-six years on this planet.

"You still doing okay?"

"Come on! Let's go again!"

He chuckles. "Alright, here we go."

I'm not sure how long we're out here, diving down for half a minute or so before resurfacing for air and going down again. All I know is that I'm exhilarated beyond belief. Every time we surface, Edward explains to me what we just saw. After a few times though, when we resurface, I'm breathing really hard and can barely catch my breath. Edward grips my hips tight, and I hold onto his shoulders, acutely aware of his long fingers on my bare thighs, of my hands on his strong shoulders.

"Had enough?" he asks.

"My legs feel like jelly."

He laughs. "There are plenty of caves and even a couple of sunken ships I could take you to if we were really diving."

Silence.

"But now, I guess it's time we head back," he says.

Still, instead of heading back, we just float there, drops of water trickling around us, the reggae beats far off in the distance.

"What ocean is this, anyway?" I ask. "Atlantic or Caribbean?"

"We're between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico," he says. "The Caribbean _Sea_ is further south."

"Oh." My mouth puckers around the word. Edward's gaze falls to my lips; his thumbs rub small, almost indiscernible circles around my thighs, around the strings on my bikini. I'm mesmerized by the droplets of water falling from his hair onto his nose and mouth and jaw.

"I should get back to Rose and Alice." The words come out as barely a whisper.

He looks back to my eyes. "Alright."

We swim back to Rose, Alice, the boat and everyone else, and honestly, I feel about ready to pass out. I can barely feel my arms and legs. When we're still a few yards from the girls, Edward reaches out and pulls me along, saving me from a few laps of swimming.

Rose and Alice look at me and grin, and I know I'm going to get the third degree in a few.

"Did you have fun?" Edward asks.

"I had…" – I'm panting – "…the best time. Thank you."

"Still gonna stick to that 'husband' story?" he asks lowly.

"I…the snorkeling trip is over. We're heading back to the marina now."

_I'm_ not even sure what that has to do with his question.

He reaches out and smoothes a few strands of hair behind my ear, watching the way his fingers run down the rest of the wet length.

His eyes meet mine, green as bright as the sea.

"How much longer are you in Key West, Beautiful Bella?"

"Eight more days after today."

There's a beat of silence.

"Then we still have time."

I'm about to ask time for what exactly, when one of his crew members calls his name, then another person calls him; and then Jessica spots him and starts swimming our way.

"Edward! Edward, where were you? _Ehhd-ward!"_

And with a wink at me, Edward swims away.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**One more update tomorrow, and then we'll start again on Monday!**

**And Happy, happy Birthday to my good friend Love Potions Brewer! Have a great day, BB!**

**See you all tomorrow!**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**


	5. Chapter 5 Claim Staking

**A/N: Oh my goodness, I was laughing so hard while reading everyone's reviews for last chapter, some of you wanting Jessica to sink to the bottom of the ocean, and others positive that could never happen due to her built-in floatation devices!**

**Anyway, let's see what DeepDiverWard is up to today. ;)**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer.**

* * *

**Chapter 5 Claim Staking**

The next day, my girls and I do some sightseeing around the island because despite Rose's sarcasm, there is actual culture to be found in Key West.

Our first stop is Hemingway House, where one of my favorite authors spent the best years of his literary life. We tour the grand Spanish Colonial with its black, wraparound second-story porch and yellow shutters, with cats upon cats, which are said to be the descendants of Hemingway's actual cats. We explore the vast outdoor gardens, and before leaving, I check out the gift shop, where I pick up an anthology of his best works.

A short walk from Hemingway's house is the Audobon House and Gallery, where we explore some of Audobon's greatest works and walk through his gardens. I finish up that trip with a nice book of his best representations of nature.

"I know you're not planning on reading any of that while we're here," Alice smirks as we walk out of the gift shop.

"Why not?"

"Uhm, because you've got Edward to entertain you, Sweetie," Rose says. "You don't need dead poets or dead bird-lovers."

"Flirting with Edward was yesterday's adventure." I leaf through my new book carelessly, but inside, my stomach tightens. "I'm sure he's moved onto someone else by today."

"We'll see," Alice sings.

OOOOOOOOOO

We return to our hotel and drop off our purchases before freshening up and changing into our two-pieces, so that we can spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing poolside.

I lie back on my poolside recliner, Passion Fruit Mojito at the ready on the side table, and for the first time today, I allow my mind to drift. A smile lifts up the corners of my mouth because I've gotta admit, Edward has been good for my ego. I arrived here a couple of days ago having been stranded at the altar by my fiancée and boyfriend of two years, who told me flat out that he neither loved me nor wanted to be my husband. Ever.

Let me tell you, that's not the most ego-boosting experience.

Yet, it's strange how a little attention by someone as…intriguing as Edward has managed to dull the sting of Mike's treachery. For the past couple of days, my mind hasn't been full of Mike's betrayal, but rather of Edward's green eyes and toned chest.

And that wicked grin.

And those twitching lips.

And the awe of that jaw.

I take a deep breath, filling my lungs, and let it out with a low sigh.

Yet like I said to Alice, that was yesterday's adventure. A guy like that doesn't remember one girl over another. He's probably exploring the coral reefs with someone new right now.

OOOOOOOOOO

We spend the next couple of hours enjoying cocktails. When it gets too hot, we wander into the large, deep pool, sipping our drinks. A few guys approach us, and we hang out by the edge of the pool with them for a while. Alice and Rose make it clear that they're married though, and that kind of deflates things for all except this one guy named Jake. I guess he's encouraged by my single status.

So after Alice and Rose return to their pool chairs, Jake and I spend some time swimming and joking around in the pool. He's a nice guy; good-looking and seriously buff; I'm talking a mean body-builder's physique. Apparently, he runs a gym close to the resort. He's got a hell of a lot of eyes on him, but I've never been much into that look. Mike was slim, though not built at all. In my mind though, the image of perfection has quickly become lean muscles that catch your eye when they're being put into use by hoisting a sail or diving into the water, muscles you can feel when your chest is pressed up against them, but that don't overpower everything else, like a wicked grin, an awe-inspiring jaw, and sea-green eyes…

We make our way over to the thatched-roof swim-up bar, where Jake buys me a mojito and tells me about the different classes available at his gym. I tell him I'm only here for a few days, but while he's assuring me that he can fit me in for private sessions, I suddenly feel a strange tingling deep in my belly. Jake looks away from me and glanced up, jerking his chin in one of those guy greetings.

I swivel around in the water.

Edward is stooped down by the edge of the pool, in his red board shorts and white _Eclipse_ tee. My eyes widen, and I find myself slowly wading through the pool water towards him.

"Beautiful Bella," he grins when I reach him, in that voice of his, and I can't even help the way my heart starts racing.

"Hey, Edward."

He looks away from me to Jake behind me.

"How's it going, Jake?"

"Not too bad, Ed," Jake responds. "You guys know each other?"

"We've spent some time together," Edward says – and then he gives me a look, his lips twitching, pouting and unpouting in a way that totally bypasses the thighs this time and heads straight for the hoohah, no lie.

The three of us talk about mundane subjects for a few minutes. Then Edward leans his head close to mine. His lips tickle the hollow of my ear, and his breath lingers on my neck for a few maddening seconds before he actually speaks.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," he breathes. "I'll go get you a towel, okay?"

I pull back and hold his emerald gaze, only hesitating for half a heartbeat. "Okay."

When he struts away, Jake moves to the edge of the pool and quickly hops out.

"I'll be back in a sec, Bell," he says, walking off.

"Alright."

I sip on my drink while I watch Jake follow Edward to the towel stand. They start talking and then look at me. Then they talk some more and look at me again. Finally, they do one of those guy handshakes, and Jake lifts a hand up and waves at me.

"See you around, Bella! Good meeting you!"

"You too, Jake!"

Edward returns with my towel resting over his shoulder. He puts one hand out, and I hand him my drink. Then he puts his other hand out, and when I take it, he pulls me out of the water so quickly that I almost land against his chest. Almost.

I raise a brow. "Is that like, a signature move of yours or something?"

He chuckles, his eyes unapologetically raking me over once again before he hands me my towel.

I smirk at him while I dry off quickly, and tie the towel around my waist. He hands me back my drink and then with his hand on the small of my bare back, he leads me to a bench underneath a grouping of palm trees a few feet away from the pool. The steel drums are low and calming from here.

"So what's going on?" I ask. "What did you have to talk to me about?"

"There's plenty I'd like to talk to you about," he says, his lips doing that pouty/twitching thing that secretly – or not so secretly – drives me wild. "But that was just an excuse, so that I could have a few words with Jake."

I nod slowly. "Staking your claim?"

"Does that bother you?" he grins.

I sip my drink and swallow, eyes on his. "Not as much as it probably should."

His mouth does that smug, half-grin thing. "I did see you first."

"Is that what it came down to?"

He chuckles. "We're men, Bella. Simple creatures."

I shake my head, but can't help grinning. "I wasn't expecting to see you again. I figured you'd be busy giving private snorkeling lessons to today's lucky contestant."

He chuckles. "No, Bella. I don't give private lessons to just anyone."

We hold each other's gazes. "What's going on here?" I ask.

"What do you want to be going on here?"

I decide to be blunt because I'm leaving in seven days, and I'll never see him again anyway.

"I don't do hook-ups, Edward."

He doesn't flinch or break our gaze. Instead he looks bemused as he reaches out and takes my drink from me. His pink tongue peeks out for a second before he wraps his mouth around my straw.

"What's your definition of hooking-up, Bella?"

I'm tongue-tied, and when he sees I'm not going to respond as quickly as I actually put that declaration out there, he goes on.

"How about I give you my definition of a hook-up. To me, a hook-up is when two people, who don't know each other meet at a bar or a club or-"

"Or on a catamaran," I say.

"Or on a catamaran," he smirks, "and then either intoxicated or not, decide to leave together or meet up somewhere where they can fuck each other's brains out 'til the cows come home."

My mouth falls open.

"Now whether they just fuck that one time or fuck repeatedly over the course of several occasions, they never take the time to actually get to know each other, to learn each other's likes or dislikes, to share each other's interests, so it all becomes a matter of meet/fuck, meet/fuck, meet/fuck. Every consecutive meet-up between those two individuals becomes nothing more than a hook-up. Now let's imagine a situation where two people meet, are mutually attracted, spend a couple of days or so getting to know each other and then…perhaps…end up fucking. In my book, that's not hooking-up."

It takes me a full minute to remember how to close my mouth. Then I've got to clear my throat a few times before I can actually speak. The entire time, Edward watches me carefully, his expression calm and bemused as he bites and sucks on my straw.

And suddenly, I want to be that straw…so, so badly.

But the words that stumble out of my mouth are, "This was really supposed to be my honeymoon."

Edward furrows his brow. "What?"

Ah, fuck.

I swallow thickly. Well, Bella, you opened the can, now spill the fucking beans.

"Last Saturday was supposed to be my wedding day. My fiancée, Mike, called me five minutes before the wedding and told me he'd changed his mind, not just about the wedding, but about our entire relationship."

Now he's the one with the hanging jaw.

"So at his own suggestion, I took our honeymoon tickets and exchanged them for three tickets for me and my girls. Then I swapped the honeymoon suite at the resort for a three-bedroom suite and viola," I grin wryly, "here I am for ten, glorious days."

He blinks a few times and then takes a deep breath. "Wow."

"Yeah," I smile. "Wow. So you see, my ego's taken a bit of a hit this week, and…"

He reaches out then and pushes a few strands of hair behind my ear. Then his finger ghosts back over my face, along my cheek before circling my lips. I draw in a few, uneven breaths.

"You don't really think I'm here to hurt your ego, Bella, do you?" he murmurs. His finger skims down my chin and around the curve of my neck.

"No, I don't," I say, shaking my head. "But I came here to clear my head, not to…"

"Not to what?" he grins salaciously and then laughs when I can't answer. "Sounds to me like you need to get that fucker out of your head."

"And I bet you know exactly how to do that, huh?" I smirk.

"I may have a few ideas."

I give him a loaded look, and he chuckles. When he reaches out this time, he takes my hand in his, weaving our fingers together, and I swear, it's not just an electric thrill that runs through me, but the most soothing calm, like when we were out snorkeling yesterday. Yeah, it was exhilarating, but at the same time, so soul-pacifying.

"Listen, I've gotta get going. I'm in between cruises right now. The sunset cruise leaves in a little over an hour, but I did come looking for you for something."

"For what?" I ask.

He searches my eyes. "There are no cruises on Wednesdays; the _Eclipse_ doesn't sail tomorrow. Spend the day with me."

My pulse quickens. "And do what?"

"A little of this, a little of that." When I purse my lips, he laughs. "Seriously, I just want to get to know you."

"So it won't be considered hooking-up?" I ask, raising a brow.

He chuckles lowly and moves in closer, cradling my chin between his thumb and forefinger. When he speaks, it's in that smooth yet husky voice, the one that makes me go weak in the knees - literally. My knees have no bones at the moment.

"You want me to deny that I want you, Bella? I'm not going to deny that. You're sexy as hell, but I would like to get to know you as well, and then…"

I've got to bite my lip to keep from whimpering the way Jessica did about a million and one times yesterday.

"And then…?" I breathe, hearing the anxiousness in my voice. My chest rises and falls. I close the space between us, our mouths within mere millimeters of each other.

"And then…" he tilts his head, his eyes flicking from my mouth back to my eyes. I close my eyes and feel his soft, warm lips at the outer edge of my mouth, a phantom brush…a brush that leaves me wanting…just as I'm sure he intends for it to do.

He pulls back and meets my hungry gaze with his own. "And then…we'll see where we end up."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Well guys, I'll leave you to sweet dreams over the weekend, imagining where exactly Bella and her DeepDiverward may end up next week…**

**I may post a teaser over on my fb page on Sunday, for Monday's chapter. :) Either way, see you all on Monday!**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**And last but not least, I want to wish a belated Happy Birthday to Rory Cullen! Hope you had a great day, BB! **


	6. Chapter 6 Taste of the Town

**A/N: Hey there! Hope everyone had a great weekend. I can let you all know about mine, but I'm sure you'd rather get on with the story. ;)**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Taste of the Town**

I stand before the full length mirror in my bedroom suite and check myself over from the top of my purposely-wind-blown-looking head of hair to my white, French-manicured toes. The gauzy, white peasant skirt I'm wearing caresses me mid-thigh and feels light and airy against my skin. I've paired it with a lavender tube top that ends right above my midriff.

"This is crazy, right?" I ask, looking at Rose and Alice through the mirror.

"Yeah, it's crazy," Alice agrees, "but you're a single woman, and he's a single guy. There's no reason why you shouldn't both do whatever the hell you want."

"But I barely know him," I murmur.

"Well that's why you're spending the day with him," Rose says, "so it won't be just a hook-up!"

She and Alice both dissolve into fits.

No, it won't be considered hooking-up - at least not according to Edward's definition. And I've gotta admit, that particular definition is growing on me…

OOOOOOOOOO

When the knock comes on the suite door, my heart jumps into my throat. Rose rushes out of my room to open the door while Alice jumps up and down on the edge of my bed.

"He's here! He's here!"

I roll my eyes, and she laughs.

"Bella! Oh Beh-_lla!_" Rose sings.

"Here we go," I say and head out of the room.

Edward stands there looking like he's modeling for some Key West clothing line in a pair of khaki shorts and a white, linen button-down, and his hair isn't purposely wind-blown _looking_ like mine is. It actually is wind-blown.

I openly gawk, which is okay because he openly gawks right back, displaying that crooked grin that makes all these muscles I'd never even known existed near my hoohah clench tightly.

"You look…great," he says, removing his Ray-Bans so he can ogle my bare tummy.

"Ditto," I say in return.

"You ready?" He reaches out and links his pinky finger around mine, causing a warm tingle that starts at my fingernails and wanders all the way up my arm. I'm left quietly wondering how such a small, miniscule form of physical contact can have such an effect on me.

"Yup."

"And where are you two off to?" Alice asks.

"We're off to do a little of this and a little of that." Edward grins, lacing all his fingers around mine. "Don't worry, I'll have her home early."

"No rush," Rose says, but she gives me a big hug and squeezes me tight, then Alice does the same, and I feel all of sixteen going on my first date. But I get their concern. I was royally dumped a few days ago, and as much as they want me to have fun, they mostly just want me to be okay.

Yet as I walk out of the suite in front of Edward, one hand still linked in his, and his other hand on the bare skin of my waist, I'm having a hard time remembering why I'm supposed to be heartbroken.

OOOOOOOOOO

We emerge from the resort into the wonderful heat of the day. It feels glorious against my skin. The morning breeze makes the palm trees sway and dance. I inhale the fresh, ocean air, blowing in from just a few, short yards away. All the while, I can feel Edward's eyes on me.

"It's great, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is. Do you take it for granted? I mean, is every day just a regular day to you?"

"Well…some days definitely stand out more than others…" – he gives me a meaningful grin, and though I know he's just sweet-talking, it warms me even further – "but no, I wouldn't say I take it for granted. I know how good I've got it." His voice carries a tone of deep satisfaction.

I'm thinking about how much that statement probably encompasses, when Edward stops us.

"You haven't had breakfast yet, right?" he asks.

"You told me not to," I smile.

"Good girl. Come on." He resumes our walk and uses that square jaw to gesture towards something.

Of course, I have a hard time tearing my eyes away from the jaw of awe, but when I do and follow his gaze to see what he's gesturing to, I stop dead in my tracks.

"Are you friggin' kidding me?" I ask, letting go of his hand.

"What?" he says.

He approaches the black motorcycle and picks up a helmet, watching me curiously.

"I'm not getting on that."

He frowns, a confused smile on his face. "On the moped?"

"That's a moped?"

"Yeah."

"That's a huge moped!"

"It's your basic moped, Bella," he chuckles. "Come on."

I draw in a deep breath, and against my better judgment, approach warily.

"You'll be perfectly safe," he purrs in that husky, velvety voice of his. "I won't let anything happen to you."

I purse my lips. "But…I'm wearing a skirt."

"I noticed," he grins. Before I can say anything, he places the helmet over my head, and before I can comment on that, he picks me up by the waist and easily hoists me over the moped, one leg dangling on each side. Then he tucks my skirt between my inner thighs and legs.

"You probably don't want that blowing in the wind," he says, meeting my wide eyes before chuckling and climbing on in front of me. "Hold on tight."

I snake my arms around his waist, ready to hold on for dear life, and it's like an avalanche of sensations: I feel his hard abs through his shirt, my legs wrapped around his thighs, and my vagina pressed against his ass.

He turns his head sideways, and I can tell by the raunchy grin on his face that he feels the way every part of me is wrapped around him – and he likes it.

"Is that all I had to do? Get you on a moped?"

"Perv," I laugh.

He laughs right back. "I'm kidding. Are you ready?"

"Where's your helmet?" I ask.

"They're not required by law here to ride mopeds, but I figured you'd feel safer with one. Ready?" he repeats.

Am I ready? And what exactly am I ready for? Before I can either answer or figure it out in my head, he's already hit the gas, and we're off.

OOOOOOOOOO

Apparently mopeds are the way to go around here. There are quite a few on the roads. At first, I'm admittedly a wee bit nervous. I cling tightly to Edward, fisting his shirt, cradling his thighs firmly in between mine. But as I take in iconic Caroline Street, with its historic landmarks and old-world houses and inns, I feel myself relaxing.

I don't loosen my hold on Edward though because you know, I don't want to fall off or anything.

He drives pretty carefully – not too fast, but not slow by any means. We bend and weave through traffic while a whole lot of people wave at him as we ride by. When we stop, we're in front of a small shack with a huge painting of a Key West postcard on one of its walls. There's an old-style bicycle parked in the front of the shack with a sign displaying the place's name.

Edward turns off the moped and climbs off, and then helps me off. I push back my hair after removing my helmet, and he watches me with a lopsided grin that makes me think he's going to make fun of my helmet hair.

"You're incredibly sexy, you know that?"

This guy is so good for my ego it's scary. I may go into some serious DTs once I leave this island.

"Ditto," I say because it's the truth, and though I'm sure he knows it, I can't not say it.

"Ditto," he repeats with a smile, taking my hand and leading me up to the rickety, old shack. There are quite a few people in line, so we get on behind them. Of course I see the looks he gets.

"It's not much to look at, but locals and tourists alike agree that the breakfast sandwiches and coffee are sick."

I chuckle at the face he makes when he says "tourists."

"You don't like tourists?"

He acts shocked at the suggestion. "I _love_ tourists. My livelihood depends on them," he smirks.

I laugh, but his comment makes me think for a couple of seconds, maybe catalog that info for later when I've got more time to dissect it...

We make small talk while in line, which moves pretty quickly. When there's only one person in front of us, Edward says,

"You're a sausage-eater, right?"

His lips twitch.

I raise a brow.

"Come on," he laughs. "I need to know for breakfast purposes. Do you want sausage or bacon on your sandwich?"

I purse my lips, but I can't help the smile on my face. "I'll have the sausage."

He winks. "I thought you would."

I smack his arm, and he chortles, and then it's our turn.

"Hey, Ed! How's it going, Man?"

"Going good, Felix. Can't complain at all." He looks at me as he says this, and I roll my eyes.

"Who's the pretty girl with you?"

"This is Beautiful Bella," Edward says.

"Beautiful Bella," Felix, an older guy working at the shack repeats. "She sure is. What can I get for you guys?"

"Felix, my man, why don't you get us a couple of Cuban breakfast sandwiches, with _sausage_, and a couple of coffees."

"Sounds good!" Felix says. "Coming right up!"

Twenty minutes later, we've offed our sandwiches and are finishing our coffees while sitting on an old bench outside. There's not much of a view here, nestled as we are a few blocks from the water, but I've got Edward to look at, and man oh man, that sandwich!

"Oh my God," I groan. "That was incredible!"

"Good, huh?" Edward says, sipping his coffee. His eyes follow my hand as I pat my bare tummy.

"Heck yeah! And then those little plantain chips on the side! Aw man!"

He laughs. "I take it stop number one was a hit."

I smile. "Yes, it was. But that had to be your ace card, and you've played it right off the bat. You can't possibly top that now."

There go those lips of his, doing that twitching/pouting thing that in the past couple of days, I've come to learn precedes one of his suggestive comments.

"Trust me, Love; I can, and I will. By the end of the day I'm going to have you moaning and groaning so loud you won't even remember what you had for breakfast this morning."

And there go those thigh muscles of mine, getting a real work-out under my skirt.

"You're getting bolder and bolder," I murmur.

He moves in closer to me over the table between us. "Or maybe your mind is just getting naughtier and naughtier. You don't even know what I'm talking about," he chuckles, tucking in a strand of hair that the breeze has blown in front of my eyes.

"I can imagine."

"You think so, huh?" He studies me, his green eyes narrowing slightly. They're so close that I can see all the different shades that make up that brilliant color: hazels and emeralds and even hints of blue.

"You know what I think?" he says quietly. "I think you're imagining way too much."

"Am I?" I snort. "And what about you, Edward? What are you imagining?"

I watch as his eyes darken, shades of blue and hazel turn mocha and opal.

"I can tell you," he says, the darkened eyes moving between my eyes and my mouth, "but I'd rather show you. However," - his finger reaches out and traces the outline of my lips, making me breathe in unevenly - "now is neither the place nor time."

I gulp – embarrassingly loudly, and he backs up, chuckling once more.

I'm suddenly feeling overwhelmed, and it's still way too early into our day for me to get this worked up.

"Are you from around here, Edward?" I ask.

He shakes his head, looking amused, as if he can tell that I'm trying to calm myself by changing the subject to something safe. Before responding, he takes the last sip of his coffee and stands, gathering our garbage. He walks to the garbage and deposits it all down the receptacle before returning to the bench. Slapping his hands together to rid them of any leftover crumbs, he leans into me once more. The few seconds that have transpired have allowed my nerves to relax, and there's something about the patient way he looks at me that makes me think he took his time on purpose.

"I'm from Washington State."

"Really? You're a long way from there."

"Yeah," he snorts. "I am. And you, Beautiful Bella? Where are you from?"

"New York City."

"A true Cosmo girl," he says with a wry grin before snorting, "You look like a city girl."

Though he's still grinning, there's abruptly something slightly dark in his tone; something that makes me wonder if the comment was benign or if I should be offended.

"And you, Mr….wait, what's your last name?"

"Masen."

"Mr. Masen. Washington boy or not, you're exactly the kind of guy my gut usually tells me to run from in the opposite direction."

"Really?" he says, lifting a brow. His eyes darken once more, though this time there's something different in them, a hint of something close to indignation. I immediately feel a twinge of regret not only for my words, but for the admittedly pointed tone in which they were delivered; a retaliation to the perceived slight from his previous comment.

"So why aren't you listening to your gut?" he asks.

I kinda wish I hadn't led the convo in this direction, but I won't back down because though I've only known him for a couple of days, I know he won't let me back down anyway.

"Maybe a week ago, I would've."

"Then I'm glad I didn't meet you a week ago."

I've only got six days left here, so no, I won't play games - not these kind anyway.

I grin at him. "So am I."

OOOOOOOOOO

Edward helps me back on his bike – excuse me, moped – so we can head to our next destination. A destination of which I'm unaware because Edward has decided that every stop today is to be a surprise.

Once again, he's oh so conveniently helpful in helping me tuck my skirt between my thighs, so it doesn't blow in the wind.

"You know, I've noticed you wear a lot of white," he says while he holds my helmet.

I bite my lip. "Do you really need me to tell you why?"

He frowns momentarily, but I can tell when he has that 'Aha' moment.

"No," he says quietly. "We don't have to get into that – not right now. Besides, it looks great on you."

He moves in slowly, and my heart rate quadruples. I close my eyes as his delicious scent hovers near, and my pulse races. His nose skims the side of my face, near my neck, and I exhale unevenly when his warm breath tickles my skin.

"Sorry," he whispers.

No, we don't know each other well, but I do know to what he's referring, and it's not to The Wedding That Wasn't. The way he called me a "city girl" before, it _was_ meant to be a crack, though I have no idea why.

"So am I," I say, because I am.

He backs away, flashing me a grin, all awkwardness gone. "So tell me what touristy stuff you've already done."

"Ahh…" I smile, biting my lip as I search my memory – which doesn't take long. "We went to the Hemingway House and the Audobon House."

"That's it?"

"Yup. We've spent a lot of time working on our tans by the pool and snorkeling with flirty catamaran operators."

He chuckles and his eyes rake over my tanned shoulders and the top of my chest as he helps me put on my helmet.

"I'd say it's been time well-spent."

OOOOOOOOOO

We end up back on Duval Street, just a short walk from the resort. Edward parks the moped down the block and then threads his fingers through mine, guiding me towards a white house with black shutters. The sign in front reads, "Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory."

Inside, we walk through a conservatory filled with exotic plants, colorful birds, small, cascading waterfalls and dozens upon dozens of the most beautiful butterflies I've ever seen. Through the entire walk, Edward holds my hand inside his. We stop over a small, white bridge overlooking trees and flowers and butterflies.

"Okay, this trumps breakfast," I giggle, "but it's not making me moan _or_ groan."

"Day's not over," he says confidently.

I shake my head, smiling. "This is amazing! Do you bring all your conquests here?"

He lifts a brow. "Is that what you consider yourself, Bella, a conquest?"

I can't answer.

He shakes his head. "No. I've only been here once before, and it wasn't with anyone I'd consider a conquest."

Shit. Why do I keep sticking my foot in my mouth?

Though I do know why it is. It's because despite how comfortable I feel with Edward, I'm still a bit anxious. I mean yesterday the guy basically told me he wants to get to know me so that he can fuck me afterwards. I'm allowed some nervousness here, aren't I?

Edward chuckles before I can say anything. "Come on," he says, and pulls me along.

We walk through the gift shop where I admire a book on the different butterflies of Florida, and Edward buys it for me.

"Next stop?" I ask when we're outside. It's noon, and it's already the best day I've spent here in Key West.

Edward takes my hand and leads me in the opposite direction from the moped.

"One more tourist stop." He smirks, "I'd skip it, but we're so close, it'd be a shame not to take you. I warn you though," he looks at me meaningfully and lifts a brow, "this is our last tourist trap of the day. After this, we're going off the beaten path."

"Okay," I agree, and the butterflies dancing in my belly have nothing to do with the conservatory we just left behind.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts? I'm having a great time reading them, seeing how you guys are all trying to figure  
Edward out. ;)**

**See you tomorrow. :)**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**


	7. Chapter 7 Off the Beaten Path

**A/N: I'm chuckling at how many of you want to take a trip to Key West lately. Let me know if you find the copper-haired catamaran tour-operator with the red board shorts. ;)**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Off the Beaten Path**

While Edward and I stroll hand in hand towards our next mystery stop, we talk and joke along the way. I'm so involved in our conversation that I fail to note where we're headed until the hordes of tourists are practically on top of us.

"Rose and Alice are going to be mad at me for coming here without them."

"Then don't tell them you came," Edward suggests. He pulls me in front of him, guiding me through the crowds with his hands firmly on my hips, and I wonder if his fingers feels our connection as much as my skin does.

"Tourist trap," he mutters when we finally break through the masses, making me chuckle. We make our way to the red, black and yellow buoy that marks the southernmost point in the U.S.

"I suppose you'll want a picture?" Edward asks.

"Of course; I'm a tourist."

He rolls his eyes, and I laugh as I hand him my phone so that he can take a picture of me in front of the buoy. He snaps a couple and then takes out his own phone. I'm admittedly a bit startled when he starts taking pictures of me. When he's done, he walks over and takes my hand, leading me towards the water and gazing out.

"You know," he says, "they're lying to you tourists. This isn't the actual southernmost point. That's a bit further west on military property, but this is the closest the public can get."

"Really? Well thanks for debunking that myth for me."

He chuckles, his eyes still on the water. "I couldn't let you be taken in with the rest of the masses. But yeah, on a clear day, and with the help of some binoculars, you can see the island of Cuba."

"I should've brought binoculars."

"Maybe next time."

For some reason, those words make my heart jump.

Finally, Edward turns and looks at me, his green eyes bright and shining in the sun. "Alright, we're done with the sightseer excursions. You ready to go get lunch? I'm hungry again."

"Ditto," I smile.

OOOOOOOOOO

I've gotten much more comfortable wrapping my arms and legs around Edward, which is a good thing because this ride lasts much longer than the previous ones. We make our way first through the popular streets of old town Key West and then further onto roads less traveled – at least by tourists like me.

This time, Edward takes me to a low, red-bricked building with small palm trees lining the walkway.

He holds the door open for me. "After you, Beautiful."

The place is loud, blasting Spanish music through two big, black speakers on either side of the dining room. There's a bar to the side, and a few people sit on stools sipping serious-looking drinks even though it's only a bit past noon.

"Hey, Edward!" a rather large, fortyish or so woman calls out. "How ya doing, Baby?"

Edward grins, winking at the woman as she approaches. "Maria, Darlin'."

"New friend?" she asks, looking at me.

"This is Bella."

The woman simply nods. "Trying to impress her?"

"Of course I am. That's why I brought her here to taste your cooking." He wraps an arm around her shoulder. "Best damn cooking in the Southeast."

She blushes and absolutely beams, and I'm not sure if it's because of the compliment or the arm wrapped around her. Probably both.

With a huge grin now, she says, "Follow me, Guys."

We follow her through the room and past the bar. A blond girl reaches out and yanks on Edward's arm as we go, and he chuckles. Then a couple of the guys at the bar look at him and laugh, murmuring quietly, and it's like they're all sharing some private joke.

Perusing through our menus, we make conversation, and then the guys and the girl from the bar approach and gather around Edward.

"Bella, you remember Paul, Seth and Tanya, don't you?"

I blink a couple of times, surprised at myself for not having recognized them.

"Hey, Bella," Paul grins, winking at me. "You actually _did_ agree to go out with this guy? I thought he was joking."

Edward gives him an elbow jab to the side, making him yelp.

"Yeah, you sure about this, Girl? You don't want to know where he's been," Seth adds.

Edward turns around. "You guys mind? I'm trying to impress a young lady here." I hear the humor in his voice.

"We're joking! We're joking!" Paul says. "Alright, we'll leave you two alone to your _fun_." And with a salacious grin, he walks away, Seth following him.

Tanya stands there, holding my gaze, looking like she's waiting for me to back down, to be the first to look away, but fuck her, that's not happening. Then she snorts and breaks our gaze, leaning down to whisper something in Edward's ear. The top of her tank top drops low when she does, treating both Edward and I to a nice, bird's-eye view of the top swell of her pretty-perfect breasts.

"Alright, Tan, thanks," he says in response to whatever she's whispering – or maybe to the flash she just gave him.

She straightens out and smiles. "Good to see you, Bella."

"Ditto, Tanya," I smile back.

Our food arrives: burger for me and steak for Edward. I bite on a fry absently while Edward cuts his steak.

"Try your burger. That'll get you moaning." He grins.

"In a minute," I say.

He watches me. I spell out my defiance and discomfort by having another fry.

He sets down his utensils, studying me speculatively. I have another fry.

"You know, I get the feeling you think I'm some sort of man-whore," he says. He's still grinning, but there's truth behind the statement.

I swallow my fry. "Well…look at you."

"Look at you," he retorts.

"Do I look like a whore?" I ask.

He raises a brow. "Do I?"

We hold each other's gazes. I lean into the table.

"You're an extremely attractive man, and you're obviously pretty aware of it." This makes his grin widen. "And you're a flirt," I add. "The first time I saw you, you were flirting with Jessica and her friend. Then just the next morning you were flirting with my friends and me."

Still grinning, he leans in close as well. Our faces our only a couple of inches apart. I'm hypnotized by the way his eyes begin to darken again; his lips twitching and pouting, and I watch their movement, fascinated.

"Just because I enjoy meeting and talking to people shouldn't cause individuals to assume that I _fuck_ everyone who crosses my path."

He emphasizes the word, and my breath hitches. He smirks.

"You're right," I agree. "People shouldn't assume that. I guess some…individuals…are out of practice with all this and were being a bit judgmental. But then again," I murmur lowly, "when you've got a boatload full of people ready to have an orgasm from just watching you demonstrate how to properly wear a life vest, and when it's obvious you know you have that effect, it's hard to believe that you don't take full advantage of it whenever it suits you."

His eyes sparkle with mischief. He nods slowly, his gaze falling to my mouth while I speak.

"Point well taken." He nicks one of my fries before his eyes move back to mine. "But just to make things clear, I run a business that depends largely on how _friendly_ I can be, and…on that boat the other day, I was only interested in how close I was to making one very specific person…orgasm."

I draw in a few successive, uneven breaths, releasing them through narrowed lips. He might as well have said "let me watch you come right now" for how my pussy is reacting to his words. My legs clench and squirm together under the table to keep just that from happening.

At this point, I'm going to have the strongest thigh muscles on the East Coast by the time I leave this town.

Then I back away and stick another fry in my mouth.

"You were close," I admit.

His eyes grow momentarily, as if I've caught him by surprise. Bright, excited orbs burn right through me. "Good to know. And Bella?" he says.

"Yeah?" I say breathlessly.

"Ditto."

OOOOOOOOOO

Afterwards, he takes me to a beach that though nestled in between two popular resorts, is mostly deserted because it's nothing more than a strip of white sand with no watersports, no bathroom facilities, no restaurants and no music; all it is, is sand and beach and waving palm trees.

And it's absolutely glorious.

We find a spot under a gathering of palm trees and without even bothering with towels, set ourselves down over the soft, warm sand. I rest my palms behind me to support my upper-body while bending up my legs in front of me. Closing my eyes and throwing my head back, I prepare to worship the golden orb in the sky.

"Oh my God," I moan, "this is…"

"Beautiful," Edward finishes for me.

When I open my eyes and look at him, his eyes are on me.

"You just moaned," he grins.

"But I didn't groan," I tease.

"Day's not over," he says as before. Then reaching behind his neck, he pulls off his shirt, revealing those perfectly tanned, and toned, and golden shoulders and that chest with golden hairs and washboard abs, and yes, it takes all my self-control not to groan at the sight.

"You're playing dirty," I say, biting my lip.

"What?" he asks way too innocently.

And before I can talk myself out of it, I reach down with both hands and slide my tube top up and off.

Luckily, I had a white, bikini bandeau on underneath.

Though by the look on Edward's face, he didn't seem to know that. He releases a long breath of air through narrowed lips while his eyes take me in unapologetically. And then he bites down on his own lip, making all these little, successive, appreciative grunting sounds under his breath that soak the bikini bottoms I'm wearing under the skirt.

"You know, Key West is known for its topless beaches," he breathes.

And the way he looks at me…he's temptation personified. My hands twitch. I reach up and run one finger back and forth along the top of my bikini top, deliberating while Edward watches, but before I can make a decision, he reaches out and takes my hand, threading our fingers, his eyes locked on mine.

"Not now," he says. "Not here."

No lie, I'm more turned on than I've been in a while, than I've ever been if I must be honest. Every moment with Edward has been more erotic than any moment I've ever spent before.

I look away from him just because I'm afraid I may jump him right here if I don't. My eyes scan the picture post-card perfect surroundings.

"It's so perfect here," I say. "So peaceful. Like a different world. I don't know how I'm going to leave in less than a week."

"Don't leave," he says.

"If only it were that easy," I snort. "I've got a life I've got to get back to."

When I look at him, his eyes are on me. "Want to tell me what happened?"

I look off into the ocean again. "There's really not much to tell. Mike and I met at work a couple of years ago. We started dating because we shared a lot of the same interests."

"Such as?"

"Such as…work," I chuckle humorlessly.

"The financial world?" he smirks, because I've told him what I do for a living.

"Yes, that. But…we also enjoyed traveling, a lot of the same movies and music. His parents loved me. My parents loved him."

"You were compatible," he says.

"I thought we were," I say thoughtfully. The thing is, while it does make me thoughtful, talking about this isn't hurting half as much as I thought it might. "A year ago while in Paris, we were up on the Eiffel Tower, and he asked me to marry him. I found it very romantic."

I look at Edward. His expression reveals nothing.

My eyes trail back to the shoreline. "We're both financially well-off, so it was fun planning a big wedding. As for the honeymoon, like I said, we've traveled a lot, so we figured, why not find a paradise close to home to celebrate? And then five minutes before the wedding…"

For a long time, we sit there in a strangely comfortable silence while the soft breeze blows through the palm trees. I sigh deeply and turn to look at him, once more finding his eyes already on me.

"Do you enjoy your life back home? Your job?" he asks.

I shrug slowly. "I mean, it's hectic, but it's my life and my career, what I went to college to do, how I pay the bills. I'm good at it. I've got plenty of clients who are having a heart attack this week because I'm here. It's stressful and like I said, hectic, yet at the same time, it's also…boring," I chuckle humorlessly. "But I suppose that's life, right?"

He watches me closely, and though his mouth opens in a couple of false starts, he doesn't respond.

"Now you tell me your story. What was with the "city girl" crack?"

He grins sheepishly, a faint blush coloring his golden skin. "Like I said, I grew up in Washington, in a small town in the southwestern part of the state, called Forks."

"Never heard of it," I smile.

"Not many people have," he smirks. "I went to college in California, UCLA, Marine Biology."

"You're a marine biologist?" I ask.

He nods. "A few credits short, but yeah."

For a second, I'm surprised, but then I remember how much he knew that day on the boat when he was talking to all of us about the different plant life and corals and sea life; the pure passion in his voice. It was part of what had everyone so turned on. I recall his passion and knowledge when he took me snorkeling.

"I met a girl while in college. Kate. She was from L.A. - a city girl through and through. We dated all through college and made long-term plans. One day, during the second half of senior year, I walked into my dorm and found her fucking my roommate, Garrett."

I chuckle.

In my defense, it's because I can't imagine anyone 1) ever being unfaithful to this beautiful, intelligent, witty and sexy as hell man in front of me, or 2) being stupid enough to be unfaithful to him with his roommate in his own dorm room!

So I assume he's joking.

When he quirks a brow, I quickly realize my mistake.

"Oh my God, Edward," I cover my mouth. "I'm sorry! I thought you were joking! I can't imagine anyone ever being insane enough to be unfaithful to you."

"And I can't imagine any man being idiotic enough to leave you at the altar."

"Touché," I say. "Go on."

"Well," he says, "she said she couldn't picture herself long-term with someone with such a small-town outlook on life. See, she couldn't imagine leaving L.A., and I couldn't imagine staying – at least not long-term. Like I said, I was close to graduating and already had a job lined up, but now my head was a mess. So when a few friends of mine planned a spring break trip to Florida, I was more than down. We took what was to be a two-day detour to Key West. That was six years ago, and the rest, as they say, is history."

"So you never went back."

He shakes his head. "None of us did."

"Wait. So…you, Seth, Paul, Jared and Tanya?"

He nods.

"Wow. So you didn't get your degree."

"Six credits short, but that's okay." He lies back in the sand, threading his fingers together behind his head. His biceps strain, tendons jutting through tight, golden skin, and I know I probably shouldn't be noticing that right now - but I do.

"What did your parents say about that?"

He shrugs. "They were upset at first. But I've made a good life for myself, and they see that. I'm more than satisfied with my decisions."

"So this was…an escape?"

He holds my gaze. "It may have started that way, but what it was, was an awakening. Bella, I can't imagine living a life other than the one I live here. I do something I absolutely love. I may not be filthy rich, but the business is more than healthy. I've got friends all around me, I've got sunshine on my back every single day, and I've got the sea, and its creatures, and corals at my beck and call. What more can I ask for?"

There's something about his question that disconcerts me, something about the way he looks at me as he asks it. I look down at my lap.

"Ready to go in the water?" he asks. I know he feels the sudden tension as well, and I'm grateful for his attempt to break it.

"Yes," I say.

We spend the rest of the afternoon playing in the water and resting and talking over the sand. Luckily, I wore my bikini under my clothes, and Edward just goes in with his shorts. They stick to him when he's wet, and he catches me looking a few times, but I don't care because he never tries to hide it when he looks at me.

It's exhilarating.

Late in the afternoon, we're drying off, lying on the sand, and Edward suddenly hovers over me, shirtless, his hair windblown and full of sea and sand, green eyes standing out against his sun-kissed skin. And I can't think of anything in the world that I want more in this moment than to kiss him.

So I do.

I lift myself on my elbows and go for those lips, groaning when I finally feel them soft and yielding against mine. He fists my hair in one hand while the other slides behind my back, his palm pressing against my spine as he pulls me flush against him. He tastes of salt and sun, and his lips are supple and warm, and I groan again when his wet tongue slips between my lips. He lowers me to the white sand and wraps his hard, wet body around mine, and we kiss and taste and rock against each other for what feels like hours yet not long enough.

When I finally break away for air, he grins at me, panting.

"You groaned."

OOOOOOOOOO

It's the longest ride we've taken so far. I hold him tightly, a huge grin on my face while the wind blows through my hair, and I press my cheek to the back of his shoulder, no longer afraid or embarrassed. I want this man with every fiber of my being.

By the time we stop, we're a couple of miles out of Key West, at a small, white and blue pastel-colored home.

He turns the moped off, and I'm suddenly nervous again, but not because I doubt what I want; rather because it's insane how much I want it.

Edward climbs off and turns to me. He takes my helmet off and pushes back my hair, his gaze moving from my scalp, to my forehead, to my eyes and my lips…and then he kisses me again slowly, sucking on my lips firmly; taking away my every last breath.

"Is this your place?" I ask once he's helped me off.

He nods.

I look at the well-maintained landscape of palm trees and small bushes. We walk up the few steps to a white, wrap-around porch.

"I'm nervous," I admit, stopping for a second.

He cups my cheek and moves in, but his mouth circumvents mine, moving to my ear.

"Don't be," he whispers in a soothing tone that quickly sets me at ease.

We walk inside the house. It's small, but it's a clean and modern open space that serves as a living room and kitchen. Beyond the kitchen, I see sliding glass doors that lead to a dock.

"Oh!" I exclaim and make my way through the rooms.

Outside, there's a thin strip of canal. Each neighboring home, including Edward's, has a small boat docked back here.

"This is amazing!" I breathe. "Is the boat yours?"

Edward nods. "Came with the house. I've worked on it a bit."

I read the name off the side of the boat aloud. _"Esme."_

"My mom," he chuckles.

"Aww, that's sweet!" I laugh and then feel him slide his hands around my waist, pulling me against his hard yet comfortable chest. We stand there for a while, just breathing in the air and looking off into the horizon where the sun is beginning to make it's descent.

"Want to take a look inside her?" he asks suddenly, as if he'd just made the decision to ask.

"Sure."

Carefully, he helps me onto the boat. It is older, not as shiny and bright as the catamaran, but it's well-loved and cared for. There's a lower deck, but he doesn't take me there.

"Come here. Let me show you something," he says instead.

On the side of the boat, there's some equipment that Edward explains is for "snuba-diving," which he describes as a cross between snorkeling and scuba diving. He fits a snorkel mask on my face and shows me his diving suit and an extra one he's got on board that would fit me, he says.

"Where did you get that one?"

"It's Tanya's."

Then he goes on to explain some other stuff about snuba-diving, but I'm nodding and only half listening because I'm pretty sure I don't ever want to wear Tanya's diving suit, and now I'm wondering if he's slept with her.

"She's got a thing for you," is the closest I can get to actually asking.

He starts laughing pretty loudly.

"What?" I snort. "She seemed very…possessive back at the restaurant."

"Bella, Tanya's my cousin."

"Oh," I say, and then I start laughing too.

We watch as the sun descends in hues of pink and orange, and then he takes me inside and makes us ham and cheddar cheese sandwiches, which we eat while standing around the kitchen counter.

"Mmm," I groan, "you're right. You are making me groan quite a lot tonight." I chuckle.

Edward sets his sandwich down, and I watch as he chews, swallows and takes a big gulp from his water bottle. The entire time, his eyes remain on me. Then he takes my sandwich from my hand and sets it down, turning me around so that I'm facing him. His thumb circles my mouth around and around, making my heart accelerate.

"You're a naughty girl, you know that? You put on this prim and proper act, but what you need is someone to help you release that naughty girl deep inside."

"Is that what I need?" I ask, practically panting. Eyes glazed and half-lidded, I pout my lips and softly kiss the tip of his finger, grazing it with my tongue. His eyes widen, and he releases his own shallow breaths before licking his lips.

"Yeah." He grins that panty-destroying grin of his, the one that's obliterating my bottoms as we speak. "That's exactly what you need."

I wrap my arms around his neck. He grips my hips. "How well would you say we know each other now, Mr. Masen?"

He chuckles deep within his throat. The sound reverberates against my chest, tickling my nipples.

"I'd say we know each other pretty well."

His mouth finds mine, his tongue pushing itself inside while I squirm against him, no longer able or willing to deny what I want.

"You ready to go back to the resort?" he asks, pulling back, his hands now barely ghosting against my hips.

"I…uh…" I try to blink out of the haze consuming me enough to understand what just happened here.

But Edward chuckles, kissing me softly once…twice. "Tomorrow, I'll pick you up after we finish the afternoon cruise."

"Don't you have a sunset cruise tomorrow evening?"

"They can go without me one night."

He dips his head and skims my cheek with his nose, trailing down slowly to my neck, his warm breath raising every fine hair on my body.

"I want you," I murmur shakily.

"Mmm," he moans, placing wet, open-mouth kisses all along my bare shoulder. "I need you to get a good night's rest tonight, Love, and to take it easy tomorrow. You're going to need your energy for what I have in mind for you."

"Oh God," I whisper while his lips suck on my collarbone.

He lifts his eyes to mine.

"I'm going to work you to the bone. Think you're up for it?"

I grin, a wonderful feeling of anticipation dancing in my stomach.

"I know I am."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**I will see you all tomorrow!**


	8. Chapter 8 - The First Dive

**A/N: Good morning, everyone! Happy Hump Day!**

**And with that, let's get on with it, shall we? ;)**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer.**

* * *

**Chapter 8 – The First Dive**

Despite the promise I sort of made Edward about resting, I'm feeling antsy the next morning, so Rose, Alice and I head down to Duval Street. As we watch a group of street dancers spin on their heads, I tell them all about my previous day with Edward.

"Holy hell, Girl," Rose says, fanning herself once I'm done with my erotic tale. "That man is one sexy son-of-a-bitch."

"He sure is," Alice agrees.

Continuing our exploration, Alice buys a beautiful Van Gogh reproduction at a small gallery and has it mailed back home. Rose buys some organic makeup to try out at her trendy salon, and I end up buying myself an outfit for tonight's evening with Edward: a dark blue, sheer tank top that ends midriff and a short, flowing yellow skirt with small, blue polka-dots. In another store, we find patent leather gladiator sandals that'll look gorgeous with the outfit.

Then we barhop for a bit. By the time we're done, it's mid-afternoon, and I'm anxious to get back to the resort so that I can get ready.

When we arrive back at our suite, we find that a pair of tickets for tonight's _Eclipse_ Sunset Rum Cruise have been delivered, along with a note.

_Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Swan: Please enjoy with our compliments. _

_Ms. Swan, aka Beautiful Bella: I'll see you at five. _

_E.A.M.  
__Captain, Marine Biologist, Deep Diver__  
_

Alice and Rose look at each other and squeal.

OOOOOOOOOO

Edward arrives about an hour later. When I open the door for him, he's leaning against the doorframe. Dressed in black shorts and a plain, white tee, he's as sexy as sin incarnate.

He removes his Ray-Bans. "Beautiful Bella." His green eyes roam appreciatively as he reaches out and threads our hands together. "You look gorgeous."

"Thanks," I reply. "You look great too, but…maybe I should change? I think I'm a bit over-"

Before I can turn around, Edward wraps an arm around my hips. His thumb skims the bare skin between my skirt and top.

"No." He shakes his head. "Don't change. I like touching your bare skin." His thumb circles my belly button.

"Hey, Edward!" Rose calls out from inside. "Thanks for the tickets for the sunset cruise!"

"Yeah, Edward, thanks!" Alice says.

"No problem," Edward says, returning the wandering thumb and the rest of the hand to my hip. "I've instructed the crew to serve you guys the good stuff tonight - none of that mid-shelf rum we give the regular tourists." He winks.

They both giggle profusely.

"Ready?" he says, turning his eyes back to me.

"Yes."

"Have fun, Ladies," Edward says.

"Bye, Guys! Enjoy yourselves _thoroughly_!" Rose replies.

I roll my eyes as we leave.

When the elevator doors close behind us, Edward takes a step and cages me against the mirrored, back wall.

"So. Are you well-rested this afternoon?"

"Actually, we went shopping today," I admit, tilting my head up to him because he's so close. "And bar-hopping."

He tsk tsks his disapproval, shaking his head as he moves in even closer. My chest presses against his, and the proximity of his body in this tightly enclosed space makes me shiver. I'm already having a hard time breathing when I feel his hand on my bare thigh, just at the hem of my short skirt.

I give a little startled gasp.

"Naughty girl," he whispers, his fingers skimming higher, leaving a scorching trail in their wake. "I told you I needed you well rested for tonight."

"And I told you I can keep up," I respond shakily.

"We'll see," he says. The back of his index finger brushes my upper thigh back and forth, back and forth, raising goose-bumps. My chest heaves.

"Edward…" I breathe. "We're in an elevator."

"I know," he says huskily, yet his finger doesn't stop its upward climb. My eyes flutter closed, and I bite my lip, trying to keep myself from moaning like cow as he grazes the edge of my lace thong; my hoohah muscles clench when his finger dips under the sliver of material. I'm almost embarrassed at how wet he's about to find me.

Almost.

When the elevator ding announces a stop, Edward's fingers drop away and he moves back, and I try not to cry, or to glare accusingly at the older couple and two young girls that walk in. As the small space fills, Edward stands behind me all the way at the back, one of his hands on my waist, the other caressing my bare ass smoothly under my skirt. By the time we reach the lobby and he guides me out, I can only hope the people walking into the elevator miss the flush of my face and the tell-tale scent probably swimming in the air.

I'm dizzy. Edward helps me onto his moped while I try to calm myself.

"You okay?" he asks, his eyes twinkling impishly while his mouth does that pouting/twitching thing.

"You're a bad, bad boy," I say while he adjusts my short skirt around my legs.

"So you keep telling me." He smiles, his hands caressing my bare legs, palms wide open.

"And extremely bold this afternoon."

"It was a long day without you," he murmurs.

And then he looks at me, and I can't help the exhilaration I feel from both that look and his words.

OOOOOOOOOO

We head straight for his place, and at this, I'm neither surprised nor disappointed. Once there, he tells me to make myself comfortable, so I remove my sandals, and despite what I know we're here to do, I feel very comfortable as I follow him into the kitchen.

There are two place settings on the counter, alongside two glasses of wine and a bottle chilling between both.

"Dinner's ready," he says, opening the oven. "Let me just make sure it's still warm."

"You cooked?" I ask. It's a pleasant surprise. With all the excitement for tonight, I hadn't eaten much, and now I'm realizing that yeah, I'm hungry.

"Of course I cooked," he says, removing first one, then another covered dish from the oven. He places them over the counter. "I've got to feed you first." Then he looks at me and admits with a laugh, "No, I didn't cook. Maria prepared this for me."

I slide onto a stool. "Your friends look out for you."

"They do," he replies as he uncovers the dishes. "That's one of the good thing about a small town. We've all got each other's backs."

I nod slowly, marveling at how wonderful that must be as I eye each plate hungrily. Each contains a perfectly roasted quarter chicken, a side of roasted vegetables, and yellow rice pilaf.

"That looks delicious," I say.

"Wait 'til you see what I got you for dessert," he winks.

Edward serves us each a glass of wine, and we sit and eat and talk for about a half hour. When I reach for the wine bottle to serve myself a second glass, Edward wraps his hand around my wrist.

"Just one. I don't need you getting tipsy tonight. You'll need your wits about you for what I've got planned for us."

I try not to whimper.

He chuckles at what must be the super-horny look on my face. Picking up both our dishes, he stands and places them in the sink before turning back to me.

"We'll have dessert later. Are you ready?" he asks.

Tummy full, I am more than ready and can only nod as he reaches for my hand again, my heart tripping over itself the way my feet want to do as he leads me through the kitchen and living room. I eye the stairs up to where the bedroom must be…

He stops in front of the couch and picks up something big and black, handing it to me.

It takes me a couple of seconds to figure out what it is.

"What do I do with this?" I ask, a bit puzzled as I eye the wetsuit in my hand.

"Put it on," he chuckles. "There's a zipper on the back that I can help you with."

"Are…we…role-playing?" I frown, wondering if this is some sort of marine biologist fetish.

"What?" he snorts. "No, Love. You're going to need that."

"But wouldn't putting this on sort of defeat…I mean, it covers a whole lot."

"It better," he says. "We're going to be quite a few feet underwater, and it gets a bit chilly down there."

"Wait a minute? What?"

"In the water, Bella, while we're snuba-diving." He winks at me.

"Snuba-diving?"

"Yup."

"What?"

"_Snuba-diving_," he repeats. "We talked about this last night while we were on the boat, remember?"

"We did?"

"Yes, Bella." He cups my cheek. "Where was your mind last night?"

Obviously not where it should've been.

"Edward…won't the sun be setting in a couple of hours?"

"That's why we need to hurry." He grins.

I stand there, blinking. While my brain tries to figure out where I went wrong, Edward pulls off his shirt, disorienting me even further. His shorts follow, and then he's standing a few inches away from me in nothing more than his six-pack and boxer-brief glory.

"Whoa," I breathe before I can even think to stop myself.

He grins smugly. Eyes still on me, he picks up his own wet suit from the couch and zips himself up expertly. It's one of those wetsuits that fit mid-thigh, and fuck, how does this guy manage to look hot even in a wetsuit?

"Do you need help?" he asks once he's done, and I haven't moved one…single…muscle.

"I…I…"

Apparently, I've once again forgotten how to use the English language.

Edward moves in close again. His fingers gently caress my face. "Don't worry. You'll enjoy this. I promise."

The thing is, despite how utterly confused I am right now – and trust me, I am puzzled beyond belief - I believe him. When he reaches for the hem of my shirt and slowly peels it off my body, I stand there in my black, lacy bra, half-naked, chest heaving. Both of us push down my skirt. Without breaking our gaze, he picks up the wetsuit and helps me into it, holding up my hair while he reaches behind and zips me slowly and carefully.

Then he takes a step back.

"Perfect," he murmurs.

Taking my hand again, Edward guides us outside and onto the waiting _Esme_.

"We're going out a few miles. It should take us about forty minutes or so to get there," he tells me as he revs the engine, and I sit there calmly and patiently – eager for our next adventure.

OOOOOOOOOO

Apparently, "snuba-diving" is a cross between snorkeling and actual diving, except there's no certification involved since we won't be going as deep. Air is provided through an airline straight into our snorkels. Edward gets really into the explanation, and this time, I pay much closer attention, except when I almost lose focus because listening to the passion in his voice when he goes into this is a distraction in itself.

About forty minutes later, Edward cuts the engine. "We're here."

I look up. We're about a quarter of a mile or so from a tiny island with waving palm trees and a tiny strip of white sand beach.

"_Ohhh_. _Wow_."

When I can finally pull my eyes away from the island to look at Edward, I can tell by the expression on his face that he's pleased by my reaction.

"It belongs to my friend, Tyler."

"Your friend _owns_ an island?"

"Owning an island isn't as unusual as you might think. I plan to own one myself someday. Anyway, he hasn't built anything on it yet, so he lets us use it sometimes as long as we keep the tourists away."

"I'm a tourist," I smile.

"Not tonight you're not," he says, pursing his lips. "There are things under these waters that you won't see on your basic catamaran snorkeling cruise – even if your tour operator _is_ an extremely knowledgeable and attractive marine biologist."

"A six-credits-short marine biologist," I tease him.

"Yeah, yeah," he says.

"And a cocky dive instructor," I chuckle. "Don't forget that."

"_Cocky_," he grins. "How could I forget _cocky_? Very _cocky_, I must say."

"You're so bad," I snicker, shaking my head.

He laughs. "Seriously, are you okay with this? We don't have to."

"No, I want to. " I draw in a deep breath. "I'm excited, but I'm also a bit nervous," I admit. "What if it gets dark while we're out there?"

"It _will_ get dark while we're out there, Love."

Edward chuckles at my expression. "Bella, I won't let anything happen to you; I promise you that. Snorkeling in daylight…it's beautiful, but with the setting sun's colors penetrating through the water…it's so different. I'd love to take you on a proper dive, but you need your certification, and that takes at least a couple of days. Honestly, I'm not sure if you're up for that yet."

"No. Not yet," I concur.

"How's your gag reflex?"

"Pardon?"

He smirks and points to the small, inflatable raft on the boat. "There's an air cylinder in there. The air flows through those lines, and the lines get attached to the snorkel piece that goes into your mouth. I want to know if you can wrap your mouth around it without choking." His eyes sparkle wickedly.

"I don't know," I smirk. "I've never had my mouth wrapped around something for that long, but I guess we'll find out tonight, won't we?"

He lifts a brow. "I sure hope so."

"So, so bad," I shake my head, making him laugh.

Edward gets the rest of our supplies ready. Then he starts messing with the dashboard on the boat.

"Come here," he tells me. "Let me show you what I'm doing." He pulls me onto his lap, and I yelp.

"You're really jumpy this evening."

"Am I?" I ask, bouncing purposely over his obviously growing hard-on.

He groans, closing his eyes, and then stills me with his hands on my hips. "Stop, or we won't get off this boat."

It's my turn to laugh, and after a deep breath, he explains the levers and gears on the boat's dashboard.

"I guess it's a lot easier to get this thing moving than it is to start up the catamaran, huh?" I muse.

"Pfft," he scoffs. "That thing is fully computerized and motorized. I can get 'er out to sea with the push of a button."

"But," I frown, "what about that whole show you guys did with raising the sail?"

"It was exactly that," he chuckles. "A show for you tourists."

My shoulders deflate. "Well that's a shame. I really enjoyed watching you pull and pull to get that sail up."

"Did you now?" he leers lasciviously.

"Yeah," I say, biting my lip. "Kind of made me wonder exactly how long you can keep up that…push and pull motion."

His eyes darken, and he draws in a deep, shaky breath. "Now who's being bad?"

I climb off of his lap - with no little effort mind you - and giggle happily.

OOOOOOOOOO

Edward helps me get on my equipment, and then he gets on his. With his snorkel gear in hand, he dives in headfirst, and when he comes up, his hair is wonderfully wet, and he's got water droplets on his nose and mouth, and I marvel at how much I love watching him dive in and come out.

He holds out his arms to me. "Come on in."

"You sure you'll catch me?" I pretend to look around. "No Big-Meloned tourists around to take my place?"

He laughs. "Just so you'll know, I've never been much into heavy, overgrown melons. Nice, reasonably-sized mangoes have always been more my thing."

"Have they?" I grin. I don't remember ever flirtatiously joking around quite like this with Mike – or with any other guy I ever dated.

I jump in - not headfirst like Edward, and with nowhere near his grace. He catches me, of course, and when he does, he presses his mouth to mine, his wet hands wrapping around my face. After a few seconds, he pulls back.

"Enough," he says, panting. "You need your air for diving." He grins and helps me with my mask and snorkel before putting on his own, and with a count to three, we dive under.

No bullshitting, I am shitting myself for the first ten seconds or so. But when I see all the colors, when I feel Edward's hands holding mine protectively, any fear I have melts away. We don't dive too deep, only about twelve feet or so.

And Edward is right, I see things I've never seen before: fish and colors and shapes I never imagined underwater. He takes us around a bend, and I gasp.

A sunken ship.

It's a small one, of course, in these shallow waters. We explore it from all different angles. Our air lines move smoothly with us, so we can swim around with no problem. Fish swim in and out of the shipwreck. Coral grows on its sides. Plants sway to and fro inside it.

It's peaceful and quiet and gorgeous.

We come up to the surface a couple of times and then move the boat closer to the beach, diving parallel to the shore. The sky turns the most beautiful shade of pink, a shade I'll forever think of as "Key-West-Pink." It changes the water and the colors we see underwater as well.

Edward is right, seeing it all in these fading colors is _so_ different.

At one point, a fish about a couple of feet long swims by us. It's black with these whitish markings on it, and its tail is about half its length. I watch Edward give it a wide berth. He looks at me and points at the fish, and then puts the ends of his palms together so that his hands make a V shape, and then he curves his fingers, opening and closing his hands like a jaw.

Jaws.

JAWS.

I point upwards before kicking my legs as fast as I can towards the surface. I emerge and take off my gear, and half a second later, Edward emerges. He takes his mask off and howls with laughter.

"Get me the fuck out of here!" I hiss.

He curves his hands around my shoulders, and I swear I feel something nipping at my fins.

I yelp, and he laughs unbelievably harder. "Bella, Love, relax. It was a baby zebra shark, and it swam away."

"If it's a baby, then its parents are around somewhere!"

"Bella, zebra sharks are very gentle," he says through his chortles.

"That's an oxymoron right there."

He keeps laughing. "I swear to you, you're not in danger. If you don't mess with them, they won't mess with you."

"Edward," I say all panicky. He continues to chuckle, running one tender hand down the length of my hair.

"You're safe; I swear to you," he grins. "But I guess it's time to go. I don't want you to develop a fear for this."

He says these things, as if we have all the time in the world - as if we'll do this again next week, and the next.

His eyes hold mine, and despite the natural predator swimming around somewhere under my feet, I've never felt safer in my life. There's something about being here with him. It's like, there's really nowhere else in the world I can imagine being right now.

"I'm not afraid," I say. "It was…one of the best experiences of my life."

"Oh yeah? How did it compare to the Eiffel Tower?" He grins mischievously.

"The Eiffel Tower pales."

The sky is lavender and orange when Edward crashes his mouth to mine. Kissing and groping, we somehow make our way to shore, laughing against each other's mouths when our fins trip us. I fall on my ass on the wet, wet sand, chortling so hard my back arches while Edward falls to his knees in front of me and removes my fins and then his. He throws all our gear somewhere far away, and then he grabs me and falls on his back, bringing me over him. We kiss wildly, hands losing themselves in one another's hair while the sky goes from lavender to dark purple, and the soft waves lap all around us, keeping the sand from sticking to our bodies. He unzips my wetsuit, and I sit up over him, straddling his lap while he pulls the thing off of me. At the same time, I try to unzip his suit, but he ends up having to do most of the work.

Finally, my hands are all over his hard body the way they've wanted to be since the moment I laid eyes on him, exploring every ridge and groove while Edward runs his hands up and down my back, squeezing my hips, tracing and following the curve of my spine.

"We've got to get these things off," he says, grinning impishly.

I can only nod while he guides the wet suit down my thighs. It's not friggin' easy, and I've got to get up to get it the rest of the way down, and then he gets up too, and he's anxiously pulling it off along with his boxers.

There he is, bared before me. It's like a picture postcard – okay well, not one you'd find in a regular tourist shop.

But it's perfect. Edward…and sand…and palm trees…and setting sun. And nothing more.

While I stand there in obvious worship, he moves closer, reaching around me to unclasp my bra, letting it fall to the sand. I push down my panties.

"Next time, you don't have to wear anything under that," he murmurs, and then he doesn't say anything else, but everything else is in the gleam of his eyes, in the way he gazes at me, in that twitch of his lips.

He slides his hands around the nape of my neck, and I feel him against me, hard and throbbing against my thigh as his tongue hungrily invades my mouth, and he guides me back down. Lying on his back over the sand, he guides me over him.

"I'm clean."

"Me too."

"Are you on birth-control?"

I nod.

"Thank God," he breathes, "because the condoms are on the boat."

We both chuckle, but we don't play any more games. We've been playing them for the past four and a half days. It may not seem like a lot, but I don't care. I don't care about anything anymore as I hold on to his biceps, and he guides my hips as I feel him sink inside.

"Oh!" I cry out, closing my eyes and throwing my head back against the raw relief and pleasure as I stretch around him.

Edward groans loudly, his own relief and bliss evident in that glorious sound. With his hands curved around my hips, he guides me up and down over his thick length while his own hips move back and forth. He feels so good and so _hard_, and I lean closer to him so that we can kiss while I ride him.

His tongue mimics his actions below his waist, plunging in and out and creating the most glorious friction. I rub my wet body over his, loving the slipperiness of my breasts on his chest. I lean up higher, and he sucks a nipple into his mouth, making me moan. He alternates between my mouth and my breasts. I arch my back, and he hits me from a different angle. My eyes roll to the back of my head. I think I see stars only I'm not sure if they're in the sky or in my mind.

His hips flex and thrust quicker, relentlessly. I moan and sigh and cry and whimper, halfway out of my mind, scratching down his chest while begging for more.

"Yes…yes…Edward…_yes_…"

"Yeah, Bella. Yeah…" he hisses, thrusting so deep and hard he makes me bounce over him. When my walls clamp down around him, he explodes with a loud grunt, tensing under me, impaling me so, so deliciously.

We rest over the sand while the waves lap at our feet and legs. He plays with my hair, and I caress his smooth chest.

"Did that feel like hooking up?" he whispers against my temple.

"Not at all," I say, and I mean it wholeheartedly.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**I already know some of the thoughts/comments you're all going to have. Let me have 'em. :)**

**And for those worrying about sand (because I know it always tends to be a concern in these kinds of scenes), remember they are on WET sand, with soft waves lapping all around them. Much easier to keep the sand off. (And if you can't trust me on that, remember that this is a nice story to keep you entertained.) **

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**Enjoy the rest of your "Hump Day," and see you all tomorrow!**


	9. Chapter 9 Deep Diving

**A/N: Good Morning, All!**

**So…most of us seem to agree that a little bit of sand in strange places is a small price to pay for the kind of fun Edward and Bella have been up to. Let's see what happens next, shall we?**

**Betad by the wonderful Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Deep Diving**

Exhausted, wet, and sandy in parts where sand should never tread, Edward and I stumble off of his boat after our glorious snuba-diving adventure. As soon as we're through the sliding doors into the kitchen, he pushes me against a wall and presses his mouth to mine. We're both wearing wet underwear and _Eclipse_ tee shirts he had stowed on board, but Edward quickly lifts off my shirt and pushes down my panties.

I giggle as we kiss, feeling warm and airy and fantastic, tasting salt and sand and sea on him, but when he slips a finger inside me, the giggles die away.

"_Ohhh._" I throw my head back against the wall.

"You're so wet," he says against my lips, pushing his finger in all the way.

"'Course I'm wet; we were just…in…the…wahh…"

I can't even finish the words, he's pumping me so good; his finger swirls and curves inside me.

"That's not why you're wet," he says huskily.

I whimper while Edward picks up my right leg and hooks it over the crook of his elbow, opening me wider. I cry out as he adds another finger, thrusting so deep that my body bangs against the wall. He crashes his mouth to mine, swallowing up my cries as his fingers plunge in and out, and his tongue plays with mine.

"Jesus, you're delicious," he says, sucking hard on the skin of my collarbone. My muscles clench, squeezing his fingers tight, and when his thumb teases my clit, I explode.

"Edward!"

He kisses me through my orgasm and then sweeps me off my feet – literally - and I squeal.

"What are you doing?" I ask, as he walks through the living room with me naked in his arms.

"We need a shower."

He climbs us up the stairs easily before he heads down the dark, narrow hallway and takes a left turn into a small, clean bathroom. With a thump, he sets me down over the closed toilet and flicks on the light.

I watch him as he reaches behind his neck and takes off his own shirt, pushes down his boxers and then stands there naked in front of me. He's hard as a rock, bobbing up and down at my eye level, so I reach out and wrap my hands around his ass to pull him closer.

And then I wrap my mouth around him.

"Ah fuck!" he hisses while I take him deep, swirling my tongue around his shaft. He's salty and yeah, sandy from the sea, but I couldn't care less. A little sand in the mouth never killed anyone. He buries his hands inside my hair, guiding my head back and forth, groaning in time with my bobbing.

"Bella…"

I take him deeper before pulling back to look up at him, licking the tip of his head. He hisses through his teeth, grinning wickedly.

"What do you think of my gag reflex now?" I smile.

"Wonderfully weak," he says hoarsely.

I grin in reply before taking him deep again, but after a few seconds, he gently pushes my head away.

"Get in the shower," he says.

He moves around me, his thick, hard dick bobbing in my face as he turns on the shower. Then he picks me up and places me in the tub.

I turn towards the hot spray, arching my back and loving the way the kindled water feels raining down my body. With my head tilted up and eyes closed, I let it wash away the sand and grin when I feel Edward's erection press up against my ass cheeks.

"Bend over, Love, and hold on."

"Oh God," I moan and do as he says, bending over and supporting my hands on the side of the tub. Then I feel his hands on either ass cheek before he thrusts inside.

"Ungh!"

He rocks quickly inside me while the hot water sprays my back, adding little, fiery, stinging sensations to the scorching heat ramming hard between my legs. His thrusts are unbelievably deep and urgent, making my breasts bounce giddily before me. Edward leans into my back, and I hear his palm hit the tiles above me, bracing himself as his hard chest molds around my spine. With his other hand, he reaches around to cup my breast, fondling one and then the other, tweaking my nipples between his fingers.

My back arches. "Unh! Edward!"

I shudder and clench around him once more, and he rolls his hips as he lets me ride it out with him buried deep inside. When my legs give out, he wraps an arm around my waist and turns me around, lifting me against the wet tiles before pushing himself inside again.

I'm overwhelmed and bewildered in the most wonderful way. I'm drowning in him. He surrounds me everywhere as he pounds into me relentlessly, holding both my hands in one of his over my head while he supports me with the other. His mouth moves against mine while his tongue tangles lazily with mine, and incredibly, I feel that indescribable heat rushing through my body, concentrating itself at my apex once more.

"Fuck, I'm coming again!" I yell incredulously.

"Good girl," he growls and thrusts faster and harder, and I yell and scream and come undone, gripping his shoulders for dear life. My nails scratch up and down his back while I wrap my legs tightly around his hips. By the time I'm coming down, I hear him grunt as he impales himself inside me and shudders against my body.

For a few minutes afterwards, we half stand, half lie in the tub, breathing loud and hard. The only reason I'm not actually spread out across the tub floor is because Edward's weight has me pinned. Finally, with a chuckle, he stands himself up straight and places his hands around my waist to help me get to my feet.

"I guess we should wash up," he grins.

"I thought that was the whole point of this," I smile tiredly.

With a quiet snort, he turns me around and shampoos my hair. Then he soaps me everywhere because at this point, I honestly doubt I could do it myself. Then while I rinse, he washes himself. While he rinses, I languidly climb out of the shower and grab us both towels from the small closet in the bathroom.

Edward kisses me tenderly on the lips after he's tied his towel around his hips. He grabs another towel and helps me dry my hair.

"Tired?"

"Just a tad bit," I tease, though I'm practically dead on my feet, and I'm sure it shows.

With a sweet smirk, he takes my hand and silently guides me through the hallway into the bedroom.

"Pretty," I say as I take a quick look around.

Like the rest of the house, it's small, but neat, except for the unmade, queen-sized bed. I usually like my beds made before I lie on them, but right now, I'd sleep on a pile of half-chewed-up hay. The mattress is thick and high and wonderfully firm. Completely worn out, I drop the towel from around myself and have to really pick up my legs to climb onto the bed. As I do, my body really feels all the exertions of the evening, and I know I'll be knocked out the second my head hits that pillow.

Apparently, Edward has other ideas.

He stands at the foot of the bed, and as soon as my back hits the mattress, he drops his own towel, and the man is fucking rock-hard _again_! His dick stands at full attention as he grabs my ankles and drags me down so that my butt is at the edge of the bed.

"I need you one more time, and then I'll let you sleep. I promise," he says. My heart races as he spreads me wide, yet my legs instinctively bend at the knee, welcoming him, and then Edward buries himself inside me once more.

And despite the utter fatigue I felt just a few seconds ago, my body automatically responds.

"Edward," I pant as he starts moving inside me yet again. I watch him standing in front of me, his beautifully thick brows furrowed in deep concentration while his hips move rhythmically back and forth. The light of the moon streams in from the windows behind him, illuminating his perfect, naked form. His stomach muscles flex every time he pumps into me, and his handsome face scrunches up into the most erotic expressions. He bites his lip, gazing between my eyes and between where we're joined, his own eyes full of the most delicious lust.

"Bella…"

I lift myself on my elbows so that I can see what he's seeing.

"Oh," I cry quietly, watching where he moves in and out, disappearing inside me inch by solid inch before slowly reappearing, wet and glistening. My back arches, and I drop to the mattress again, moaning so loudly it's almost embarrassing. Then Edward takes one of my legs and lifts it to his shoulder, raising the other leg to his other shoulder. He pulls me in even closer so that my ass cheeks are molded against his thighs. I cry out at how unimaginably deep he starts hitting me.

"Deep diver," is all I manage to breathe.

Edward chuckles throatily. "I warned you."

"Umph!"

This continues for a wonderfully indeterminate amount of time. Every few thrusts, he pulls out almost all the way before slamming back in. All the while, my eyes open and close, my head thrashes from side to side, and I'm sure I must've drowned in those waters and went straight to heaven.

When he suddenly pulls out, I'm left empty and bewildered.

He stands there, breathing hard, his dick glistening and then suddenly, he drops to his knees and buries his face between my legs.

My back arches completely off the mattress. I open my mouth, but no sound comes out.

"So delicious," I think I hear him murmur, but I can't be sure because Bella has left the building. I'm floating somewhere far above, and his words were spoken so low I'm not sure they actually happened. He licks all around my clit before plunging his tongue deep inside me, and my eyes roll while a low, guttural sound escapes me. Then he goes back to my clit, sucking it so, so gently while slipping a finger all the way in.

I come so hard and so loud I vaguely hope I haven't awoken his neighbors.

With my body lying there devoid of any muscle, Edward stands again and pushes inside me once more, thrusting hard as hell once, twice, three times, and then he drops over me stiffly, grunting his own release.

For a few minutes, he rests his head on my stomach while both of our breathing slowly regulates. Then he climbs onto the bed and wraps his arms around my waist, guiding me up the mattress to the pillows. When he spoons me against him, I mold myself into his hard chest, and he kisses my temple.

I honestly don't remember anything after that.

OOOOOOOOOO

It's still mostly dark when I wake, but there's a sliver of deep orange light streaming in from the windows. Edward is at the foot of the bed. He's got on his red, _Eclipse_ shorts, and he's throwing on one of his white, _Eclipse_ tees.

I lift up on one elbow, and when he sees I'm awake, he grins, leaning in to kiss me softly.

"I didn't want to wake you; I know you didn't get much sleep," he says sheepishly. "But I've got to get to the catamaran. We've got a morning cruise, and we've got to get the boat ready. You can stay and sleep, hang around, and I'll come get you later in the morning, before the noon cruise."

I am exhausted, and Edward's bed feels absolutely heavenly…

But he's got things to do, and I don't want him to feel like he's got to babysit me now.

"Just give me ten minutes to brush my teeth and wash up quickly, and I'll come with you so you can just drop me off at the resort," I say.

"You sure?" he asks. "You don't have to get up, Bella."

"Thanks," I smile, "but Rose and Alice will probably be missing me once they wake up."

"Okay," he smiles back, but for a second, I think I see something like disappointment cross his features. "You'd better hurry up though, before I'm tempted to take these shorts off and have my way with you again."

Despite the early hour, my exhaustion, and the soreness down below, I feel my body respond to his words. But he has things to do, and we have to get moving.

So I just laugh and quickly climb out of bed, wrapping myself in his sheets as I run to the bathroom.

OOOOOOOOOO

In the clothes that I wore yesterday evening on my way to Edward's, I could easily be doing the walk of shame as we walk to my suite. The thing is, I feel no shame whatsoever.

I lean against the suite door and look up at Edward. How he manages to look so fresh and wide-awake and sexy after yesterday's activities and lack of sleep and early morning hour, I have no idea. I don't even want to think of what I look like right now.

"I had a…great time," I say.

My heart races again, but no longer out of anticipation. What if this is it? We had our fun. We got to know each other a bit. We fucked our brains out. What if our time together is over?

I force myself to smile as he looks down at me, grinning while lacing our fingers together. With his other hand, he gently traces the outline of my lips.

"Great…" he says quietly, "to me…is an understatement."

"Me too," I breathe.

"I've got a full day today," he says. "The cruise ships are in, and those are always busy days here. There's a big dive excursion this afternoon too. I'd ask you to come along for the ride, but the boat is fully booked…"

"No," I shake my head. My chest tightens, cutting off my lungs at the recognition of the dreaded brush off. "No, I understand."

"I can come see you this evening though, if you'd like," he shrugs. "I'm sure Seth wouldn't mind taking the sunset cruise for me again."

"Are you sure? You skipped the sunset cruise last night too. You sure they wouldn't mind?"

"Bella," he grins, "I told you, the catamaran can sail itself to sea. And there's enough of a crew to keep all the tourists happy."

"But I'm sure half of them come just because they've heard of the hot, cocky, tour operator," I tease.

"Then they'll be sorely disappointed tonight," he smirks, "because the _cocky_ operator will be with you."

And then he kisses me. "So yeah?" he asks against my mouth.

"Yeah," I breathe, kissing him good and proper.

OOOOOOOOOO

When I finally wake again in the late morning, I take a look in the mirror and am surprised by what I see.

Despite the lack of sleep and _all_ the exertive activities from the night before and early this morning, my eyes are sparkling, my face glows, and my hair looks wild, but in an attractive way.

I look freshly and wonderfully fucked.

Alice and Rose point it out as we get ready to hang by the pool. I don't deny it.

On our ride down the elevator, my mind replays every moment. I can't even disguise the grin etched on my face as we take to the pool loungers.

"Not for nothing, Bella, but Alice's prediction did in fact come true," Rose teases me. "You have been fucked within an inch of your life on your 'honeymoon!'"

The three of us laugh.

"Well, we've only got four days left here, so Girl, you better enjoy that man for as long as you can!" Alice says.

For some reason, Alice's words make me stop short.

"Al's right, B," Rose says. "I mean, I don't want to bring up He Who Shall Not Be Named, the asshole, but once we're back in New York, you're going to have to deal with a whole lot of crap. Enjoy your time now."

For the second time this morning, my chest constricts. I've got to force my feet to move again.

"I'll tell you what," I say, "I wish I never had to deal with He Who Shall Not Be Named ever again, or any of that mess."

Rose reaches for my hand. "I wish you didn't either, Honey, but unfortunately, life's a bitch that way."

I nod in agreement.

But for five seconds, I close my eyes and picture a make-believe world where the sun always shines, where the scent of the sea is always a hop, skip and a jump away. I picture a path in which I don't have to face things I'd rather not, one where I can stay here in paradise indeterminately, enjoying the sun and surf and sea-life…

And Edward.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**I will withhold my thoughts on that FSoG trailer that was released this morning, but the new Beyoncé "_Crazy in Love"_ remix? That is friggin' hot. Made me think of E&B's return from their snuba-diving adventure. ;)**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**See you all tomorrow!**


	10. Chapter 10 - Eye Opener

**A/N: Happy Friday!**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Eye Opener**

Lying on the pool lounger with my eyes closed, I listen to the smooth, calypso beats coming from the band and let my mind wander to Edward and everything we've done since I arrived in Key West.

"Look at that smile," I hear Rose say, teasing me. It only makes my smile grow wider.

Yet when I remember that in a few days I'll be gone from here, gone from the constant, warm sun, the warm waters, the laid-back life, gone from…Edward…my smile fades because after all, this is just a vacation. I know that. Edward is part of that vacation - a beautiful part, the very best part. But in a few days, he'll be nothing more than a wonderful memory.

My chest tightens.

Suddenly uncomfortable, I open my eyes. Off in the distance, I see a large, white sail with the blue and red _Eclipse_ logo waving majestically.

Edward is back from his morning cruise.

Though I know we agreed to see each other this evening, I've got a sudden urge for him, so I get up and wrap myself up in a black cover-up, digging through my pool bag for a mirror.

"Where are you going?" Alice asks, opening one eye.

"I'm just going to say a quick hi to Edward. I'll be back soon."

"Sure you will," Alice chuckles, closing her eye again.

"Just make sure you put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign up on the door if that quick hi turns into a quick-ee," Rose says.

I roll my eyes, but as I walk off towards the catamaran, I find myself contemplating the possibilities…

OOOOOOOOOO

I spot Edward when I'm still a few yards away from the catamaran. I'm in the middle of the horde that's already crowding the marina, and he's facing the boat, his back to me. Before fighting my way through the crowd, I stand there for a few seconds, taking him in. His bronze hair is beautifully windblown, and his tanned skin looks absolutely delectable in the bright sunshine.

I start walking towards him, but then I hear loud giggles.

A group of four girls are making their way down the platform off the catamaran. Though from this distance I can't hear what they're saying, I watch as they each stretch out a hand for Edward to "help" them down. They giggle and laugh loud, shaking their bikinied hips as they debark. It's sort of funny to watch.

That is, until the final girl in the group makes her descent.

Unlike her friends, she's not giggling stupidly. Even from here, I can see the slow, sexy grin across her face, the way she looks at Edward as he helps her down. If this were a few days ago, I'd probably find it humorous, especially when she purposely trips on absolutely fucking nothing as an excuse to press her tits against Edward's chest.

Except that this girl is probably the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen in my life.

Her long, red hair is a wavy creation of perfect, spiral curls. She's got creamy skin that's tanned the most perfect shade of bronze, and her plump mouth appears to match the shade of her hair.

And her figure…_Jesus_.

She's got on a skimpy, black bikini and hasn't even bothered with any sort of cover-up; though if I had her body, I probably wouldn't ever cover it up either. She's not too thin and by no means too heavy, but she's got these curves going on, and for the man who's confessed to having a thing for small, firm mangoes, she's gotta have the best set of perky, tight mangoes ever created.

Mango Girl finally gets her perfect tits off of Edward's chest, and then all her girls pile around her and Edward. They whip out their phones and take selfies with him before gathering their bikini-clad bodies together while Edward spreads his arms wide over their shoulders for a group photo. When they've finally taken enough pictures to fill twenty albums, they all start walking in my direction – well, almost all of them.

Mango Girl stays behind with Edward, talking and grinning at him, showing off those perky mangoes of hers.

Her friends are now only a couple of feet from me. Giggling, they stop and turn around, facing Edward and their friend.

"Lucky Bitch! She said she was going to give him her room key! I wish I had the balls to do that!"

"You know Victoria. When she sees something she wants, she goes for it!"

They all laugh.

Meanwhile, '_Victoria'_ has now reached out and taken Edward's hand in hers. She swings it back and forth as they talk, and he appears to make absolutely no effort to disentangle himself.

Now for the past few minutes, my mind has been screaming at me to leave already, but my feet don't seem to be receiving the message.

"There she goes!" one of the girls calls out.

So now I've got to watch as Mango Girl waves what looks like a credit card, but I know to be a room key, in front of Edward's face before sticking it in his front pocket. With another salacious grin, she struts off in the direction of her friends.

And I stand there, watching Edward just stand there. After a few seconds, he walks over the platform and back onto the catamaran, and I turn and leave.

OOOOOOOOOO

"What happened?" Rose asks when I return to the pool. "Alice and I were about to order a couple of drinks to keep us busy here in case you needed privacy upstairs." She winks.

Silently, I take my place next to them on my pool lounger, put my shades on, close my eyes and tilt my head up to the sun.

"Bella?"

"What?"

"Did you see Edward?"

"I must've missed him."

"But…I see the sail from here."

I sit up. "Yeah, I…you know what? I've actually got a bit of a headache. I think I'm just going to go back to the room for a little while and rest."

"You okay?" Alice asks. "Want us to come back with you?"

"No, no. I'll be fine. I just need to get out of the sun for a bit."

As I make my way out of the pool area, I try to calm my racing heart. I'm upset. I know I'm upset; the question is why. I knew _exactly_ what this was. It was clear from the beginning. No, it wasn't exactly a hook-up, but it was barely a step up; a vacation fling. He never promised me anything beyond that, and I never asked him to do so.

Then why am I so fucking…hurt? Why does it literally ache to breathe right now?

I need to be alone. I need to lock myself up in my room for a while until I can figure out what the hell is-

Someone grabs my arm, and I whip around.

"Hey, Beautiful."

Edward's green eyes sparkle. He's grinning that suggestive, sexy grin he's given me from day one – the same one he was probably just giving Mango Girl. His hand trails down my arm until he reaches my hand, and he threads his fingers through mine – the same fingers he just had threaded through Victoria's.

"Hey," I smile back.

"Where're you going?"

"I…I've got a headache. I was just going to lie down for a bit."

"Want some company?" he asks, pouting those lips that were all over my body less than twenty-four hours ago. While his thumb rubs the back of my hand, I manage to keep the smile plastered on my face, but I don't trust myself to respond because I don't want to say something stupid.

For a split-second, his perfect brows seem to furrow.

"I've got to get back anyway. We've got another cruise leaving in a few. I just wanted to come by and say hi."

I still can't speak. It's taking all my effort to keep smiling.

"Are we still on for tonight?"

I swallow and force my mouth to form words. "I'm not sure. I've got to see how this headache goes. I'll let you know, alright?"

He narrows his eyes, his furrowed brow more pronounced. With his free hand, he circles my lips with his thumb, and it feels so good I've got to fight not to kiss the tip.

"Alright, Love," he says lowly. "I really hope you feel better. I'll be lonely without you tonight."

"I'm sure you'll find some way to entertain yourself."

I regret the words as soon as they're out. They're stupid and petty and senseless.

Edward's jaw tightens. I can tell he's puzzled by my attitude, and I don't _want_ to act this way with him. We've only got a few days left. Like Alice said, I should be enjoying them.

"Look, I'll call you if I feel better, okay?"

He searches my eyes, and I try not to blink or squirm under his intense gaze.

"Alright, Bella," he says. He leans in and gives me a soft, lingering kiss, and God, I want to respond, but when I close my eyes, all I see is red hair and a pair of perfect mangoes.

"Good-bye, Edward," I whisper, and then I turn and leave.

OOOOOOOOOO

Upstairs in my room, I call room service for a bowl of fruit and a bottle of wine, and then give myself a mental smack down while I wait.

"_Damn it, Bella! What the hell is your problem? You're only here for four more days and the hottest, sexiest, sweetest and funniest guy you've ever met wants to keep fucking you! How is that a problem?"_

_Mango Girl._

It's fucking Mike's fault. He's fucked with my ego, and now I'm taking everything way too personally.

"He has no obligation to you!" I yell out loud, banging my fists against the soft, leather sofa. "Okay, Okay," I say, trying to calm myself. "So maybe the problem here is that he just shouldn't be fucking another girl while he's fucking me bareback. Health-wise, it's not safe. Yeah, yeah," I breathe. "That's what it is."

_It's more than that._

"Ugh!" I shut my eyes tight.

The doorbell rings.

"That was quick," I mutter while I walk to the door.

When I open, Edward is standing on the other side of the door, thick, beautiful brows raised high. I open the door wider to let him in, and when I close it and turn around, he's right in front of me.

"Want to tell me what's going on?"

"It's nothing."

"Obviously, it's something. Are you regretting last night?"

"No!" I shake my head. "No, of course not. I told you, it's nothing. I just…" I sigh. "I just need to clear my head, and I'll be fine."

Edward moves in closer, and I attempt a retreat, but my back hits the door. He puts one hand up against the door, and with the other hand, he lifts my chin.

"Tell me."

I draw in a few uneven breaths while my mind struggles to find a way to voice what I'm feeling, but I'm not even sure myself what that is. In lieu of words, I reach forward and rest my palm on his hip.

A sexy smirk automatically lights up his face. "I see someone's feeling better," he says, but the smirk dies away when my hand reaches into his front pocket and comes out with a plastic, credit-card-shaped room key.

I hold it between us for a few seconds before Edward silently takes it from me.

"I wasn't spying on you or anything. I went over to say hi, but you seemed pretty…busy. And I'm not asking for any explanations. I'm having a great time with you, Edward, and I know that this is nothing more than a fun, vacation fling. Once my ten days are up, I'll go back to my real life, and you'll continue doing what you do, and that'll be that. My only concern is that yesterday we did something that might be considered unsafe if it's done carelessly and with multiple partners, and I just want to make sure that's not the case."

He's staring at me, but I can't tell what he's thinking.

"That's your _only_ concern," he asks, his voice strangely monotone.

"Yes."

He nods slowly. "Alright. Well, if that's your only concern, you have nothing to worry about."

I nod too. "Okay," I whisper. "Good."

We stare at each other, and part of me is relieved, it really is, but the way he's looking at me makes my stomach tighten, and I want him to understand that I don't expect anything more from him. In a few days, this will be over, and I'll be fine. He'll be fine. We'll both be fine. And I'm fine now. I am. I really am.

And to prove it to both of us, I reach up and wrap my arms around his neck. "Now," I smile, doing my best to push Mango Girl's lusty grin out of mind. "Where were we?"

Edward gazes at me peculiarly, his jaw clenching and unclenching. His hands curl around my hips, and I revel in the warmth of his touch – until he gently yet firmly pushes me away.

"Her name is Victoria," he says, his voice much calmer than he actually appears. "She wrote her cell number on the key too. Told me to give her a call, and she'd meet me in her room or wherever I wanted." He looks down at the key card still in his hand. "Look at that, she's in this same resort, not too far from this room actually," he muses.

"Edward, I…" I swallow thickly, "I'd rather not know the details."

"You know how often something like this happens, Bella?" he asks, his eyes still on the damn room key. "Weekly, sometimes even daily - not to sound conceited," he grins, but it's a cold grin I'm not used to seeing on his handsome face. "I don't take them all up on it, but yeah, I've had my handful of what _you'd_ define as hook-ups."

"Edward-"

"I mean, sometimes they pretend to play coy," he chuckles. "Like it's some sort of game, which I suppose it is," he snorts. "But hey, I'm single. I don't have to answer to anyone."

"I know, Edward," I cut in quickly, "and I'm not asking for any answers. It just threw me. That's it."

"That's it," he repeats dryly. "You just want to make sure I don't fuck anyone else bareback while I'm fucking you."

I gasp sharply, but Edward continues.

"And I won't; don't worry. I don't make a habit of fucking _anyone_ bareback."

I try to swallow once more, but I can't get past the lump lodged in my throat.

"You know, when I met you a few days ago, I thought you were playing the same game. You had an interesting angle, though." He grins again. "The fake husband. That was a new one. It intrigued me so I took you to that private, little snorkeling place, and there you were, squirming in my arms, in that tiny, white bikini."

I breathe out through narrowed lips.

"But then you said you had to get back to your friends," he presses on. "I assumed you'd say something to me while you were getting off the catamaran, but you didn't. And then the next day, I thought I'd see you hanging around the pier, but you weren't. So _I_ went looking for _you_, and you give me your little speech on hook-ups." He snorts. "Still, I figured you were interesting enough to spend some real time with. But you know what, Bella?"

I feel sick to my stomach. The thing lodged in my throat is now making it hard for me to breathe, but I force myself to hold his steady gaze.

"What?"

"None of that, none of it," he sneers, "not a boatload of big-titted girls, nor dozens of goddamn key cards rammed into my pockets, nor you and your fake husband bullshit give you the right to try to make me feel like a fucking asshole."

And with that, he turns around, opens the door and stalk out, slamming the door behind him.

OOOOOOOOOO

I stand there for a few minutes. Then I go lie down.

It was just a vacation fling. I knew that from the get-go. We were both having our fun, and I'm not going to lie here and pretend to feel defiled. I knew exactly what I was doing. Neither one of us was trying to start a relationship.

So now it ends sooner than I would've thought, but I knew it would end.

I close my eyes and try to sleep for a while, but my mind replays every moment with him; from the moment I first saw him flirting with Jessica to snorkeling with him to laughing and joking with him to feeling him moving inside me…

to the furious expression on his face as he stormed out.

I sit up and look at the clock, expecting it to be a couple of hours since he left, but it's only been about twenty minutes!

I rush to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face. And then I rush out of the room.

"Come on, come on!" I groan as I anxiously press the elevator button.

I tap my foot on the marble floors as the elevator makes its descent.

I rush out of the resort, running through the grounds as people look at me sideways. I run down the marina, where I can thankfully still see the sail.

When I get there, Tanya is the one standing by the platform, holding the clipboard.

"Is he here?"

She raises a brow. "He's in a shitty mood, and my cousin is rarely in a shitty mood," she says accusingly. "So you need to go."

Instead of trying to explain myself to her, what I try to do is board the platform, but Tanya stands in my way.

"Come on, Tanya!" I say.

"Do you have reservations? Because we've got a full load today."

I glare at her, but she doesn't budge, and while I ready myself to shove the beautiful bitch out of the way, I hear a chuckle. When I look up, Seth is at the top of the platform.

"Come on, Tan, let her through. Maybe she'll be able to calm Ed down. He's about to throw Paul overboard."

Tanya scowls my way, but then slowly, she finally moves, and I hurry through.

"Thanks, Seth," I say once I'm finally on board. I'm panting heavily from my run, hunched over with one palm planted on either leg.

"No problem," he chuckles.

When I finally gather enough breath to straighten up, I catch sight of Edward. He's standing in the middle of the boat, looking straight at me. Even from here, I see how his eyes are devoid of any of the humor or warmth I've grown accustomed to in the past few days.

Without any acknowledgement, he turns away from me and launches right into his welcome speech for the tourists, grinning and chuckling in all the right places, fascinating everyone as usual. Once he's done, he moves portside and leans against the railing. I follow.

He turns around when he feels me behind him, a water bottle in each hand, holding one out to me. I take it silently, and then we just watch each other.

"Playing stowaway games now, are we?" he finally asks.

"Edward, I was never playing games."

"Really?"

"Look, I'm sorry, but-"

"Stop, Bella," he says, grinning and looking down at the bottle in his hand. "You and I don't owe each other any apologies. You had fun, and I had fun. Like you said, that's it."

"I didn't mean…" I draw in a deep breathe. "What I meant to say is…I mean, what I want is…" I groan, impatient with my own ineloquent self.

He chuckles, but there's no humor in his voice. I watch his index finger scratch at the water bottle label; short, clean nails anxiously trying to peel it off.

"What _do_ you want, Bella? I'll tell you what you want," he says before I can even attempt an answer. "You've been hurt, and that's…fucked up because someone like you should never have to go through something like that. So what you want is someone to help you forget what your asshole of an ex-fiancée did. Someone to give your wounded ego a boost and to remind you of how beautiful and smart and funny and adventurous and deliciously fuckable you are. So there you go, Bella; I'm reminding you. You're all those things and more. Yet at the same time, you want to make sure that whoever's there to remind you of all that doesn't forget that _he's_ nothing more than a human dildo."

"I didn't mean it that way. Look, I said stupid shit, I know," I say, my own indignation building. "But give me a break here, Edward. She was holding your hand _and_ sticking her room key in your pocket. What am I supposed to think? And no, I'm not an insecure person under normal circumstances, but you told me yourself that you just wanted to fuck me. _And_ you've got to remember that I was just left at the fucking altar. And though the more time I spend away from him, the more I realize how much of a mistake that marriage would've been, yes, the whole incident has messed with my ego! She was sticking her room key in your pocket!" I reiterate. "And…and…I guess I'm feeling…easily spooked these days."

He looks up at me, eyes hard at first, ready to retort.

But then he cocks his head sideways, and the fury in his eyes seem to dissipate. They soften, hard green melting into soft emerald.

He looks down again, sighing.

"When I first saw you, especially that first morning here on the catamaran, I did want nothing more than to get inside those little, white bikini bottoms. So…" he sighs, raking a hand through his thick hair, "I can see how your ego would take a blow from something like that. I understand you being spooked," he says, and then snorts, his eyes staring somewhere beyond me. "And I suppose seeing some girl stick her room key in my shorts doesn't help the situation."

"You're a flirt," I say. It's not an accusation, not anymore. It's just a fact.

His eyes return to me. "I wasn't…" he shakes his head, but then he draws in a deep breath and leans against the railing once more. "Yeah, I suppose I can be…overly friendly," he admits. "She grabbed my hand, and I couldn't be bothered to pull it away. That's all that was."

I shake my head and look down. "I don't know what to say to that."

"I don't know what to say to that either," he says, and then I feel his fingers graze my cheek, brushing from one side of my face to the other, and I look back up.

"But I do know one thing. Right now, Bella," he whispers, eyes blazing as he inches his face closer to mine, "I only want to be friendly with _you_."

I draw in a few uneven breaths, bewildered by the way his words, his touch…everything about him makes me feel.

"It was more than just the bareback thing," I admit.

He nods, his green eyes boring into mine unrelentingly. "I was never going to use that key."

I swallow thickly and nod, trying to look down again to escape the intensity of his gaze, but he doesn't let me. Instead, he holds my chin between his fingers.

"I wanted to get inside your bikini bottoms," he says.

"Yes, you told me that," I smirk. "And you got inside them alright. Over and over."

"Yeah," he murmurs thickly. "And I had to spend time with you to do so. But Bella…the more time I spend with you…the more time I _want_ to spend with you. You're not just a…fuck. And I _wasn't_ going to use that key," he repeats.

I breathe out unsteadily, holding his gaze. "I want to spend more time with you too. _That's_ what I want."

For a few moments, he searches my eyes, and then he wraps his arms around my hips and pulls me in closer, pressing me against him, and it feels…so, so warm.

And I breathe in deeply, filling my lungs with the sea air and with the scent of him.

"So what do we do now?" he asks.

"Now…we enjoy our time together?"

He stares at me while I once again hold my breath.

"Yeah," Edward murmurs. "That sounds like a plan."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**Alright guys, have a great weekend, and see you on Monday!**


	11. Chapter 11 - Into the Deep

**A/N: So it just goes to show what a real and true angst-whore I am, that I did not consider the last chapter to be angsty at all – if perhaps a little dramatic-ish. Apparently, I was wrong, as I received a bunch of reviews asking what the heck my problem was since I promised no angst!**

**Anyway, all I can do is promise that the previous chapter is about as angsty as it's going to get. There may be a couple more "bumps in the road" before we're all done by the end of the week, but I don't think it'll get as rough as the last chapter. (I hope, LOL).**

**So Edward kind of pissed many of you off last chapter, huh? Let's see what happens next, shall we?**

**Betad by Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Into the Deep**

Since I "snuck" onto the catamaran to find Edward, I'm sort of stranded on it once it's out to sea. I use Edward's cell to text Rose and Alice before we're too far off so that they don't wonder what the heck happened to me. And then we're on our way.

Edward wasn't kidding though; the catamaran is packed and busy, and he's got to perform his duties as ship captain slash tour operator slash dive instructor, while I kind of wish I had a way to get off this boat. Unease is a difficult feeling to shake, especially when you're in such close physical proximity to the man who's caused your unease, whether or not he did it purposely, especially when – though he's heavily swamped by tourists demanding his attention – his eyes keep coming back to me. They're set in a face that's continuously grinning, but there appears to be something else in his gaze, something I'm not used to seeing, something I don't know him well enough to read.

Still, I've never been one to just stand still and drown in discomfort. If I had, I'd be back home in New York right now, still trying to find my way out of that church where I was left high and dry. So instead, I seek out Seth because he's been the friendliest to me so far; I mean, he did help me get on board in the first place. Once I find him, I ask him if they need any help in the hopes that he can find me something to do that'll keep me from being alone with my thoughts.

Five minutes later, I'm wearing an "official" Eclipse cap and am handing out bottles of water and fielding questions from tourists to which I respond in vague answers if not outright lies.

This, along with other duties Seth and the rest of the guys find to keep me busy, entertains me for the next half hour or so. Edward and I sneak peeks at one another throughout, but other than that, we each keep to our tasks.

Until at one point, during a break in my duties, I sneak off to the back of the boat – the stern, I've been told it's called. I lean against the railing, looking out at the blue, blue waters that surround us port to starboard (more ship lingo I've recently picked up) and breathe in the fresh mist that blows against my face, closing my eyes as the spray caresses my cheeks.

I feel his presence behind me before I physically feel him. His hands rest on my shoulders and then slowly slide down my arms until he threads our fingers together. He was holding Mango Girl's hand before though, so I'm not really sure what this means anymore. For a while, we just stand there, looking out at the way the sun sparkles over the waters.

"This doesn't exactly feel like we're…enjoying our time together," he says.

I don't respond because I don't know what to say. I want to be okay; I do. And I want to remember that no matter what, this will all be over in four days, so in the grand scheme of things, none of it matters.

He sighs behind me; his warm breath tickles the skin at the nape of my neck, and I feel the gooseflesh rising over my shoulders.

"Before when we arrived from the morning cruise, all I could think of was going to see you when I was finished. I wasn't paying much attention to anything else. I suppose I could've…handled things better, but the truth is that...I'm not used to doing so; to having a reason to do so. I could've…I should've let go. The key itself I'd completely forgotten about, but I guess I could've-"

"Edward, like you said, you don't owe me anything."

He turns me around to face him. That beautiful jaw is squared tightly, his green eyes dark and intense.

"What if I wanted to? Owe you something, I mean."

"Edward." I draw in a deep breath full of oceanic scents that fill every one of my senses and that'll always make me think of him, no matter what. "I'm only here for four more days."

"I know," he says, reaching up to cradle my face in his hands. "I know, but what if…for those four more days, I give you absolutely all of me…and you give me absolutely all of you?"

I swallow thickly, all at once confused and exhilarated by his words.

"How often have you made that offer before?"

He narrows his eyes, nostrils flaring as they did in my hotel suite, and I want to take the words back as soon as they're out, but damn it, I won't.

"Listen to me," he says, his hold on my face tightening. "I have _never_ made that offer before."

And my first impulse is to doubt, to believe that this is just another one of his sweet lines, just like the ones he's been feeding me since I first arrived on Key West, but though I haven't known him for long, though I still can't read him fully, there are things about him that I can read: truth, conviction…hope.

And besides, I recognize my bruised ego getting in the way. Insecure Bella is still up at that church being told she's not wanted.

I won't let that Bella make this decision, or she'll be making my decisions for the rest of my life.

"Well then, let me give you my definition of what "all of me" means. It means more than just giving me all of your body, or taking all of mine. It means that I understand that you're naturally...friendly, and that you need to be friendly in your line of business, but it also means an understanding that you don't need to hold hands with others, even if it is good for business. It means not accepting room keys from others, even if they were going to go totally forgotten in your pocket. That's what "all of me" means in my book. Do you think you can work with that definition for four more days?" I ask with a grin.

He narrows his eyes, seemingly taken aback by my grin. The pads of his thumbs ghost gently under my eyes and around my cheekbones.

"For you, I can do that and more."

"Sweet words," I snort.

"No," he says seriously. "Bella, I've admitted to you that I haven't always been a saint, but I'm not a liar."

I nod, allowing the wry grin to slowly fade, and reach up to wind my arms around his neck. For one moment, I wonder if he'd rather I not do so in front of his tourists, but if that's the case, then I'd rather find out now what exactly is acceptable and isn't acceptable under his "all of me" definition.

A slow grin carefully creeps up along the corners of his mouth. He pulls off my _Eclipse_ cap, throwing it off to the side so that he can run his fingers through the length of my hair, watching his fingers as he does so. Finally, he pulls me in closer and snakes his long arms around my waist, and I sigh in relief as much as pleasure and warmth.

"In that case, Mr. Masen, I think I'll take you up on that offer; though, I've already given you all of me," I tease, "over and over again."

"Ah, but according to your own definition, Ms. Swan, "all of me" entails more than just your body," he says, voice low. Those lips of his start pouting and unpouting in that way I've missed all fucking morning. "And now that you've given me your definition, I'm going to milk it for all it's worth."

And when he captures my mouth in a fervently thorough kiss, it's pretty obvious that he doesn't care who the hell is watching.

OOOOOOOOOO

It doesn't take long to realize that something has shifted between Edward and me, and whatever it is, it's strange and wondrous…

And terrifying as hell.

For one thing, he's not making any secret of the fact that I'm here _with him_.

He holds my hand openly, kisses me whenever he gets a break, presses against me as I look out into the blue waters and whispers beautifully dirty things in my ear: where he's going to take me next, _how_ he's going to take me next, the underwater organisms he wants to explore with me tonight...

Like I said, it's wondrous, but it's also scary for more than a couple of reasons, one of which is the fact that I'm only here for four more days. We're playing a game with a very defined end date.

The other reason is that about eighty percent of the female passengers on-board appear about ready to throw me into open waters because I seem to have ruined a couple of dozen fantasies on board this catamaran.

We arrive at our first stop, which is a deep dive that Edward and a couple of the crew are going to take with half of the passengers on board. Tanya and Jared are staying on the ship.

With the Eclipse cap gone, Tanya approaches me holding a red one-piece bathing suit exactly like hers.

"Put this on." She smirks. "If you're going to act like part of the crew, you've got to look like the crew as well."

So she takes me below deck to a part of the ship marked "Crew Only." When I step through the door, there's a nice-sized, clean and well-kept storage area with supplies, a cool lounging area with a small kitchen for the staff, and beyond that, a neat and tidy bedroom.

When I emerge above deck, Edward has slipped on his dive suit. It outlines his perfect swimmer's body, and I once again marvel at how unbelievably _hot_ he looks in a wetsuit. He speaks to the people who'll be diving with him, gives them last-minute instructions, and I help hand out the gear to everyone.

Before diving, Edward approaches me and presses his mouth to mine.

"You look so fucking hot in that bathing suit," he murmurs against my lips.

I guess we _are_ feeling better around each other.

"I thought you said you were into the fringed, white, little two-piece you first saw me in?"

His eyes darken, mouth lifting up in that sexy grin. "Well…now that I know you better…I want you no matter what you're wearing."

I inhale unevenly, bewildered by the things he makes me feel.

He seems to sense my confusion. Resting his forehead on mine, he adds, "Either way, I can't wait 'til tonight so that I can see and feel and touch and suck on every single last inch of you. You've agreed to give me all of you, remember?"

I gulp embarrassingly loud, but he just snorts. "I remember. Will tonight involve us being in the water?"

"Oh yeah."

"Okay."

He pulls me flush against him, embracing me in his strong, swimmer's arms, and I can't help closing my eyes at the warmth despite the wetsuit. But when I reopen my eyes, I notice a couple of dozen eyes glaring at us.

"You know, this can't be good for business," I whisper.

"It won't put a dent in business," he says cockily. "And if it does, it'll be worth it. I'm having a hell of a time marking my territory here."

I pull away enough to hold his gaze. "Is that what's going on here? Because I thought we were marking _mine_."

His eyes widen, but the impish grin he's got going on lets me know he enjoyed that.

OOOOOOOOOO

By mid-afternoon, Tanya and I are getting along much better. I find out from her that she and Edward grew up together in that small town, Forks, and apparently have always been close, like brother and sister. She does remind me of him a bit, with the incredible beauty and the cocky grins. Yet where Edward laughs and jokes and flirts, Tanya is more reserved. When a couple of the guys onboard try to kick it to her, she lets them know in no uncertain terms that she's not having it.

And Edward…I watch him once he and his group return from their dive.

He and all that went are pumped, full of adrenaline. I kind of envy them, wishing I had more time in Key West so that Edward could teach me to dive properly. They're all laughing and joking and talking about what they saw. Even the females that were giving me the evil eye earlier are now much more relaxed. They giggle with Edward and approach him for pictures.

Though he's as friendly as ever, he keeps his arms and hands to himself as they encircle him. He poses by raising both hands high up in the air in peace signs. When one of the females tries to wind her arm around his waist, he backs up and picks up a snorkel and mask that were thrown on the floor and places them in each of her hands, instructing her to raise them up in the air and "smile!" while he takes her picture.

A few feet away, Tanya and I are cutting up some fresh fruit to serve the returning divers, and I can't help laughing at what I'm seeing. Edward looks at me and winks, snapping away.

"Hmm," Tanya hums next to me, watching what I'm watching. "That's…interesting."

"Has he always been that way?" I find myself asking.

"What? A smooth operator?" she snorts. "Yeah. Always. Even when we were little kids."

"Even when he was with Kate?" I ask.

She looks at me, raising her brows. "He told you about Kate?"

I nod.

"Yeah," she grins. "Even when he was with Kate. It used to drive her crazy. I think it's part of the reason she did what she did, sort of giving him a taste of his own medicine, though she took it to the max. I mean, he may have flirted, but he never screwed around behind her back." Then she just stares at me as if she wants to say something else. "When are you leaving?"

"Tuesday afternoon."

She nods slowly. "That's a shame. We could use another hand around here." She smiles and then resumes cutting up fruit.

OOOOOOOOOO

We make one final, quick snorkel stop on the way back to the Marina. This time I join everyone in the water, but Edward wasn't kidding this morning when he said this would be a large group today. The catamaran is packed, and it seems that they've all decided to come into the water for one last swim. Groups of tourists monopolize Edward's and the rest of the crew's attention. I find myself awkwardly answering questions and helping as well.

Five minutes before we have to be back on board, I'm making my way around the water much more confidently than I was just a few days ago, collecting equipment from the few people still left in the water and then trying to throw it back up at Seth the way Edward did that first day we came snorkeling with him. But unlike Edward, my throws are pretty sucky, and the equipment keeps splashing right back into the water.

Out of nowhere, Edward suddenly pops up in the water in front of me, and I scream bloody murder.

He howls with laughter, wet and beautiful.

"You scared the shit out of me!" I say, trying to ignore how good he looks, the toned chest in front of me, the little, blond wisps of hair on that chest…

"I'm sorry," he laughs, wrapping his hands around my hips underwater, moving in so close that I feel his growing hard-on press against my thigh. "Did you think it was the baby shark again?" he murmurs.

"That doesn't feel like a baby shark to me," I say with a raised brow.

He chuckles lowly. "You know, you accuse me of being bad…"

"Keep scaring me, and I'm never going in the water with you again," I say while he rubs his dick against me underwater.

"Yes, you are," he whispers, his hands curved around my ass. "I love having you in the water with me, and you love being in the water. _And_ you love me scaring you."

I swallow thickly, but I can't deny it – and I won't.

"Tonight," he breathes in my ear, "I'll give you something to really scream about." He chuckles when I shudder, and then he swims away with long, powerful strokes that make his biceps strain beautifully.

"Where are you going?" I call out.

He stops and turns around. "Now I've gotta get rid of something before I climb onboard."

I chuckle quietly.

OOOOOOOOOO

I'm super tired by the time we arrive back at the marina. How the rest of the crew does this two, three times a day, five, six days a week, I have no idea.

Yet at the same time, I had a great time, so I can see how once you get used to all the swimming and exertion and passenger demands, it could be the greatest job on earth. I mean, you're basically sailing into paradise five, six days a week; diving or snorkeling into some of the most amazing sights of nature imaginable.

While I help rinse off the sea water from the diving equipment, Edward takes a seat next to me, kissing my shoulder.

"Everyone safely off?" I ask. "Were there any more stumbles going down the gangway? Because those seem to be a pretty common occurrence. Maybe you should look into getting a new platform. There seems to be some invisible obstacles on your current one that trip up females between the ages of eighteen and forty as they try to climb down."

He narrows his eyes at me, but his lips twitch because he knows I'm teasing.

"Amazingly enough, it was a stumble-less debarkation." He holds my gaze meaningfully.

"Good to know," I grin, and he moves in and bites my shoulder, making me yelp. Then he starts helping me rinse off the equipment.

"Seriously," he says, "thanks for helping out today. You know you didn't have to."

"Well I did sneak on board without paying my way, so I guess I had to work it off somehow."

"Oh you're going to work it off alright," he leers, his eyes raking over me.

"So bad," I shake my head, but God, I love how fresh he is.

All of us together, we get that catamaran in tip-top shape again, ready for the final cruise of the evening – which neither Edward nor I will be on because we have other plans. When we're done, Edward asks me to store some of the clean equipment in the storage room downstairs because they've got more than enough up here. In the meantime, he's going to help the rest of the guys finish up.

I carry the mesh bag full of equipment down the steps and open up the door marked "Crew Only." Once inside, I store the mesh bag where Edward asked me to, and then I take a look around. I wander into the kitchen and open the large fridge, humming quietly to myself as I inspect all the different bottles of liquor.

Someone grabs me from behind and whips me around, crashing his mouth to mine, and I respond eagerly because I already recognize the taste of him; I've been craving it, craving the scent of him surrounding me, his strong hands cradling my face as he presses me against the fridge door.

Without a word, he unties his board shorts and lets them fall, and then he pushes aside the crotch area on my bathing suit, crouches his legs and thrusts into me.

"Unhh!" I breathe against his mouth while he pumps inside me. "_Edward_…_yes_…"

"Bella…Jesus, I've wanted you all day…only you...mmph!"

I grip his shoulders and hold on tight while his hips rock against mine. The bottles inside the closed fridge clatter and jiggle noisily every time he drives into me.

"What if someone comes in?" I barely manage to ask, though right now I'm not even sure I'd really care.

"The door's locked," he responds. Then he picks me up, still buried deep inside, and carries me towards the bedroom. His shorts are around his legs, so he's walking peculiarly, and we're both chuckling until he settles me on the bed and backs away.

"You look…perfect there," he says, admiring the sight before him for two seconds before dropping over me and moving the crotch of my bathing suit aside again, sliding into me once more.

"Ahh..."

I wrap my legs around him, digging my heels into his behind while he drives into me.

"So good," I cry.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is, and I'm gonna take my time with you tonight, but right now Bella, I need you quick and hard."

I know what he means. The unease between us earlier today…and then our make up…it's left me anxious for him…needy.

He gives me a few more good, hard thrusts, and then one that completely unravels me, and he follows right behind as if he was just waiting for me.

Afterwards, we catch our breath, and I rest my head on his wonderfully hard chest.

"This is a really nice room," I yawn tiredly.

"Yeah, we don't use it much," he says. "We're always busy while we've got the tours going. Tanya likes to hang out here when she can, but…I haven't really spent much time in here…other than for the occasional cat nap."

If I didn't know better, I'd think the cocky, deep diver slash catamaran operator was trying to tell me something, and if he was...well, I've got to admit to myself at least, that fact makes me happy.

"One day though," he continues, "I'm gonna take this catamaran really far, to the Caribbean, and Mexico and Central America, and maybe South America…."

I lift my head to look at him. "Oh my God, that sounds so perfect."

He holds my gaze. "You think so? You don't think it sounds _scary, _out at sea for that long?"

"Hell no!"

He chuckles. "Then maybe you should come with me, unless you're scared that little baby sharks may get you in your sleep," he teases.

I smack his perfect chest, hurting my hand more than I hurt him. So I grab his dick instead – which incredibly starts growing hard again!

"Oomph!" he grunts, grinning.

"Jesus, Man, you're a machine! I'd be more scared that this was gonna get me in my sleep!" I say.

He smirks. "It would. Every night."

His thumb circles my lips, the way he tends to do, and as we're locked in each other's eyes, I suddenly picture us sailing over the warm Caribbean seas…into quaint, Mexican towns…along uncharted islands in South America…

"Come on, they're going to start looking for us," he murmurs.

With a deep sigh, I breathe, "Okay."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**See you all tomorrow!**


	12. Chapter 12 Count Down

**A/N: Morning all! Sorry I'm late today. I was out late with the kiddies yesterday, enjoying the summer, and had to finish Michelle's edits this morning.**

**Anyway, enough excuses. Here you go, Guys! Hope you enjoy. This is personally one of my favorite chappies. :)**

**Betad by Michelle Renker Rhodes**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Count Down**

Last night, after having helped Edward and the rest of the crew on the Eclipse, Edward took me out on his small boat. We didn't go as far as the tiny, deserted island owned by his friend this time, but we did go out far enough so that as a pink dusk settled around us, we skinny-dipped in an ocean transformed to lavender and purple waves lapping at us in the fading, Key West light.

Then, as promised, he took me back to his place and made me scream – over and over.

And now this Saturday morning, I once again find myself helping the crew of the _Eclipse_ on their early morning and afternoon cruises. Tanya suggested it right as Edward and I left the day before. I'd looked at him before responding, not wanting him to think I was trying to crowd him or insert myself in his everyday life. One day of having me along playing the part of his crew may have been a novelty; more than that may have been more than he bargained for.

But Edward grinned from ear to ear, giving me a shrug as he said, "If you have nothing else to do."

Which, of course, I don't because this was supposed to be my honeymoon, and He Who Shall Not Be Named and I hadn't made any concrete plans because it was…well, a honeymoon.

Besides, helping out on the _Eclipse_ allows me to spend more time with Edward, and at this point, spending more time together in any way, shape or form is an offer not to be turned down. It's already Saturday, and the end of my vacation is now on the very visible horizon. Alice and Rose remind me that it's time to start packing away things I probably won't use between now and Tuesday. Then they exchange a look with each other after I tell them I'm spending the day with Edward again. I guess I haven't spent as much time with them as I'd meant to on this vacation, but I can't find it in myself to feel guilty. I've got less than four days left here, left with Edward…

So the _Eclipse_ and I sail off once more into the crystalline, blue waters. The boat is again packed with tourists from the huge, mega cruise ships here for the day; however, today I'm feeling much more comfortable playing the part of one of the crew. For one, the crew and I do get along nicely. We seem to work well together, complimenting each other's strengths. I've always been good with logistics, and I try to put that talent to use for the next few hours while Edward entertains everyone with his super-friendly (but lately much less touchy-feely) self, and the rest of the crew split between catering and entertaining and plain old sailing this ship. I'm getting the hang of all the little tasks that are required when indulging a boat-load of people. Surprisingly, it's not easy work, but when I look out at the aqua-blue waters, and hear the sound of the reggae beats reverberating through my skin, and feel the sun on my back and the sea breeze in my hair, I can't imagine anything better.

Once again, Edward, Jared and this time Tanya go along with a deep diving group, and when they come back to the catamaran, Edward is full of that adrenaline he gets whenever he's been in the water. I'm starting to recognize it. His golden skin flushes a deeper shade, and he's jumpy and excited while he eagerly explains everything they saw, answers questions, and imparts his knowledge freely and enthusiastically.

Later on, during snorkel time, the rest of the crew and I join in once again. Edward takes me along everywhere he explores. Every few minutes though, he leaves me up on the surface and dives down like the most glorious and natural fish, emerging with something to show: a shell, a rock, a crab, a lobster. Everyone gathers around him and _oohs_ and _ahhs_ before he dives back down, returning the marine life safely to its home.

At the moment, he's showing us a starfish, and like most everyone else, I'm deeply absorbed by the marine lesson he's imparting. Halfway through a thought, Edward looks up and behind me, and the most reverent grin lights up his handsome face.

"Bella, Love, turn around slowly," he says in a quiet, soft voice.

My heart drops. All I can imagine is that there's another baby shark behind me; either that or Edward is trying to scare me again. But I do as he says, and turn around very, very slowly.

There's a huge eye peeking out at me. It's attached to a big, fat, oval, brown body about nine feet long, that's just floating there, staring.

A couple of girls scream, and when I turn around, I see them rushing up the stairs that have been lowered into the water, giggling like idiots all the way.

Edward rolls his eyes.

"_Shhh_," he says to the rest of us who have remained in the water.

"A manatee?" I whisper, still as a mouse.

He nods, grinning widely.

I turn around again. The manatee is only a few short feet away. It doesn't make a sound, nor does it make any movement while we all take it in, mutely awed. Without thinking, I reach a hand out.

Edward gently yet firmly pulls it back. "No, Bella. We don't touch Manatee in the open waters. They're endangered and shouldn't be handled."

"Come on, Man," one of the guys behind us says. "Lemme just swim over there and put my arm around him for a picture."

"No," Edward repeats much more firmly.

The man doesn't ask again, and for the next couple of minutes, we all just float there taking in this rare and wondrous sight. All the while, in a low voice, Edward gives us a rundown on its biology and explains what the fishing and boating industries have done to the manatee population.

"So beautiful," I murmur.

I feel Edward's arm wrap around my hip and feel his gaze on me.

When I meet it, he's got a soft and tender expression on his perfect face. "Yeah. So, so beautiful."

OOOOOOOOOO

I'm psyched by the time we return to the marina. I mean, a manatee! I actually swam in the water with a manatee!

Edward seems amused by my reaction, but he keeps giving me that same soft, indulgent grin whenever I bring it up.

We're at a restaurant in the marina with Rose and Alice, sitting at the bar and having a quick drink together. I suppose I _am_ feeling a bit guilty about how little time I've spent with them lately – but not enough to not bring Edward along with me before he has to go off on the sunset cruise. Then tomorrow, Sunday, Eclipse only sails an early morning cruise.

"To be accurate," he says, after I've regaled Rose and Alice with tales of my Manatee Encounter for about the fifth time, "you didn't actually _swim_ with the manatee. You were just sort of floating there while it stared at you and wondered what the hell you were doing in its waters."

I roll my eyes and sip my drink. "Whatever. That's not the way I'll be retelling the story."

He chuckles and wraps his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close to him and kissing the top of my head.

"Not when I'm around," he says. When I roll my eyes again, he bites my ear, making me yelp.

"Alright, I gotta go," he says, looking at his watch. "Pick you up about nine?"

"Okay."

"See you in a few." He captures my mouth with his, sweet yet hungry little kiss planted firmly on my lips.

"See ya, Girls," he says to Rose and Alice, giving them both a wink.

"Take care, Edward," they each respond.

"See you in a few," I say. "Have fun and…beware of invisible obstacles on the platform."

He pinches my ass as he leaves, making me squeal with laughter.

"You're fresh tonight," he hisses quickly in my ear. "I'm going to have to take care of that."

"Promise, promises," I sigh, and he nips my neck this time.

"Ow!" I giggle.

He laughs and turns to leave for real this time. I watch him as he walks away.

When I turn back to Rose and Alice, they're both staring at me with matching expressions of stupor on their faces.

"What?"

Rose rests her elbows over the bar, cradling her head in her hands.

"Oh God," she moans, "Emmett's gonna fucking kill me. And your _parents_…what am I supposed to tell them?"

"What? Why?"

Alice shakes her head. "Bella, when did this _happen_?"

"What?" I ask. "What happened?"

"I was just supposed to keep you from drowning yourself! Give you a shoulder to cry on if you needed it! Encourage you to have fun and get He Who Shall Not Be Named out of your mind! Those were my jobs as your sister-in-law and best friend!" Rose says. "None of which sounded too difficult considering you were way more pissed off than heartbroken, but _this_…I never imagined _this_! I never saw _this_ coming!"

Alice pats her back. "Don't feel bad. I'm her other best friend, yet I never saw it coming either."

"We should've known."

"I blame myself."

"What the _hell_ are you both talking about?"

They both look up and give me a smirk that says that whatever they're talking about should be plainly obvious.

"What?" I snap.

"Bella…" Rose reaches out and puts a hand over mine. "We're leaving in three days. You do realize that, Honey, don't you?"

I swallow thickly. My chest tightens. I'm suddenly having a bit of a hard time breathing, and I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe I was out in the sun for too long today.

"Yes," I'm finally able to say while my heart races erratically. "Yes, of course I realize that."

OOOOOOOOOO

It's Saturday night, so once Edward and the crew are done with the sunset cruise, we all decide to go out as a group, including Rose and Alice. We end up at a club on Duval where there's a drag show going on. Edward guides me to the front and center of the dance floor, and I laugh and laugh through the whole thing: the dirty songs and the outlandish costumes and the bad jokes. Of course, one of the queens, a tall, dark-skinned and beautiful "girl", chooses Edward to mess with, flirting raunchily with him throughout the entire show. By the end, I'm holding my side from the force of my chortles, and the drinks that Edward's been buying us all haven't helped with how downright hilarious I find everything. And he's so good at being the center of attention. The drag queens flirt, and he flirts right back, which we all know isn't a hardship for him. When it's time to tip, the dark-skinned "girl" comes for Edward yet again, sticking her chest in his face and waiting for her dollar bills.

He looks at me.

"Now don't be stingy!" I say, and yeah, I'm probably being a bit hypocritical because I'm intoxicated and because _she's_ really a _he,_ and those tits are nothing more than a stuffed bra.

With an amused smirk my way, Edward doles out dollar bills while I yell all drunk and loud at the dark-skinned "beauty":

"He prefers firm, little mangoes!"

"Well, Honey, he must _love_ you then!" Dark-Skinned Beauty retorts, and I howl with laughter so hard that the only way Edward can shut me up is by shoving his tongue in my mouth.

OOOOOOOOOO

"It's raining men, Halleluiah! It's raining men! Amen! I'm gonna go out, I'm gonna let myself get, absolutely soaking wet!"

I've been singing that tune nonstop since we left the club. It's catchy.

Now the original plan was for me to go back home with Edward tonight, but I'm so plastered that he's taking me back to my hotel suite instead because he's scared I'll fall off the moped.

When we emerge from the elevator, he picks me up in his arms bridal style, and I laugh and laugh some more, humming the wedding march while he carries me through the suite.

"You need help with her, Edward?" I hear Rose ask. "She gets pretty silly when she's drunk."

"I can tell," he says, smirking down at me, "but I've got her."

"Ooh, you've _got_ me," I giggle.

Alice rolls her eyes. "Alright, goodnight Guys. See y'all tomorrow."

"Goodnight Alice! Goodnight Rose! I love you both so, so much! Thanks for coming to Key West with me! I'm so glad my brother married you, Rose! And Alice, I'm so glad I met you and Jasper in high school! And I'm also glad that- oomph!"

I giggle hysterically again when Edward throws me over the bed. He turns around and locks my bedroom door, and I start singing about raining men again, pushing my heels off my feet and hearing them land on the floor with a thunk. When he turns back around to me, he lifts his shirt off and flings it off to the side.

My song trails off mid-Halleluiah. I bite my lip, my heart rate noticeably soaring as I watch Edward stalk over. He climbs on the bed and hovers above me.

"Are you staying with me tonight?" I whisper.

"Yes," he says.

"Yay!" I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer.

"You," he says, circling my lips with his finger the way he tends to do, "are the silliest drunk I've ever met - and a lightweight," he grins, his beautiful green eyes sparkling.

"Well, I don't really drink much back in my real life."

"Your _real life."_

"Yeah. Can you imagine your investment manager getting wasted? Would you entrust your finances to that version of moi?"

"Mm," he says, pursing his lips. His eyes appear to darken, the humor in his face fading. "I'm not so sure what I'd entrust to that version of toi." I giggle at his French, but he just stares at me. "Go on, tell me more about your _real_ life."

"My real life," I pout. "My real life sucks."

"Why?"

"I work so much," I whine. "Work, work, work, work!"

"I thought you liked what you did," he questions.

"I do. I did. I don't know," I shrug. "It's just…gotten so stressful. I can't relax! They're _always_ calling!"

He chuckles. "So tell them to stop calling, and do something else with your life."

"Pfft," I snort. "Easier said than done."

"Sometimes it's as easily done as said."

I stare at him for a few seconds, his gorgeous eyes and that perfect nose, those pouty lips, and that grin, that glorious grin that lights up my world.

"What?" I ask, having forgotten what we were talking about.

His eyes move back and forth between mine, as if searching for something, but it starts to make me dizzy, so I close my eyes for a few seconds.

I hear him chuckle again.

"Tell me about Mike."

My eyes pop open, and I feel my face twist into a deep scowl. "Ugh, what more do you want me to tell you about He Who Shall Not Be Named?"

His finger continues ghosting around my lips, skimming over my cheek, circling around my eyes. It's bliss.

"Are you still in love with him?" he asks lowly, his eyes locking me in his gaze. They burn through me with an intensity that makes it hard for me to breathe.

"I…I'm not sure anymore that I was ever _in_ love with him," I frown. "Rose was telling me the other day about what it's like to be in love, and I'm not sure if I ever felt that…for him."

"What was she telling you?" he asks.

"She said…when you're in love, really in love, it takes your breath away, and when you know you're never going to see that person again, you can't breathe."

He frowns. "Really."

I nod. "Yup. That's what she says. Could you breathe, when you broke up with Kate and moved here to Key West?"

He's thoughtful for a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah, I guess I could."

"Oh. I could breathe when I got here too."

He narrows his eyes. Again, it's as if he's searching for something in mine. When he opens his mouth, he ends up taking a few deep, uneven breaths. And then I watch as he closes his eyes and drops his head, chuckling.

His hands move to the buttons on my blouse, undoing them gingerly.

"Are you going to make love to me now?" I ask.

"Oh yeah."

"_Mmm_," I moan. "Thank God because I'm _so_ horny." I'm already squirming under him, my thighs clenching together and seeking friction. He gets to the last button and opens up my shirt, exposing my black, lace bra. When he cups my breasts in his hands, my back arches.

"I was worried you wouldn't touch me tonight because I got a little bit drunk," I breathe while he molds my breasts in his big hands.

He unclasps my bra and gazes at my naked breasts for a few seconds before dipping his mouth to suck on my right nipple. I cry out and throw my head back.

"Bella, Love, you got a lotta bit drunk, but you're a grown woman, and I'm a grown man," he says in between rolling his tongue around my nipple. "If it were our first time together," – lick – "I'd wait until you were sober." Suck. "But right now," – lick, lick – "I'm not waiting." His hips rock against me, and I groan at how wonderfully stiff and hard his erection feels already.

He ghost his lips across the small hills and the slight valley on my chest and finds my other nipple, and I raise my hips to his, grabbing his ass and pulling him in deeper so that I can feel his entire length pressed against my eager hoohah. I'm already soaking for him.

"I want you," I moan while his mouth pulls hard on my nipple, sending powerful, tingling synapses all throughout my body. "I wanna feel you moving deep, deep inside me, the way only you ever have. You're my deep diver," I whisper, and he chuckles against my breast, the reverberations making a beeline to my inner thighs. "My beautiful, sexy, flirty deep diver."

He groans and starts pushing down my silky shorts and my panties at the same time. I raise my butt off the bed, so he can push them all the way down while at the same time using my feet to push down his shorts. And then he drops over and sinks inside of me, and I'm full and filled in so many ways it's bewildering.

That's how I feel: bewildered. While he pumps inside me, slowly pulling out before filling me again and again, I'm dizzy and bewildered and it's the liquor in my system, yes, but it's more. Even in this state, I know that much. It's how my heart beats when I'm with him, how my breath hitches, how alive and beautiful and ecstatic he makes me feel in every way.

I curl my fingers around the nape of his neck, holding on while his hips work into me, and I meet them eagerly thrust for thrust. The liquor has uninhibited me, and I move wildly, rotating my hips in ways that never occurred to me before, wanting to feel him from every angle while enjoying all the erotic sounds I can make him utter through that perfect mouth.

"Oh my God, Bella…yeah…God…yeah…" he says when I wrap myself around him completely and push him over so that we're on our sides over the bed. He holds on to my hips while I pull him against me as tightly as we can go, lifting a leg over his hips and rocking my own hips rhythmically, feeling that beautiful, mind-blowing heat begin to coil itself around my apex.

"Oh Edward…Edward…I never…Edward…never like this…never…"

He kisses me hard, sucking on my lips, biting me, nipping all the way down to my neck before returning.

"What Bella?" he murmurs against my mouth. "You never what? You never _what_?"

And it's there, pushing its way through the haze of lust and liquor; that thought, that feeling, that something deep inside that's terrifying and freeing all at once.

I cry out as he thrusts hard and makes me come undone, curling my body around his while his hips push and pull erratically and he grunts long and deep and then goes stiff next to me. The pleasure continues washing over me in waves, obliterating everything else. Edward sucks on my neck, rocking into me until the last aftershock of my orgasm ebbs and recedes, and we're left panting in each other's arms.

And all the while, he's murmuring something over and over that almost sounds like a prayer, and as I come down from my high, exhausted from absolutely everything I've experienced today, I hold him tightly and close my eyes, drifting off, vaguely hearing,

"Bella…Bella…you take my breath away...you take my breath away..."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Almost done. :)**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**See you all tomorrow!**


	13. Chapter 13 - The Offer

**A/N: I'm running late again. Rather than offering excuses, let's get on with it shall we? :)**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 13 – The Offer**

Consciousness slowly filters through the dreamy haze of sleep - which has been made all the heavier by the beaucoup amounts of alcohol I vaguely remember ingesting last night. I open and close my mouth, swallowing against the dryness and the onset of one of those headaches that only truly take shape once you open your eyes.

But though the headache threatens, at the same time, I've got all these great images running through my head, and more than that, I feel _his_ warmth. So despite the risk to my cerebrum, I go ahead and open my eyes.

The headache is momentarily thwarted by the sight before me.

Edward is lying next to me, sideways and naked. He's got a small, crooked smile on his pouting, twitching lips. Now truly awake, I realize that _I_ am completely naked as well, and when I feel Edward's hand running smoothly up and down my thigh, the impending headache recedes even further.

"Please don't tell me it's time to get up yet," I whisper, eyes opening and closing lazily.

"Not quite yet," he says softly. "Go back to sleep."

I close my eyes, quietly enjoying the gentle touch of his fingers caressing my skin. A few seconds later, I reopen my eyes. He's still gazing at me.

"Well, I can't go to sleep if you're going to be staring at me."

He chuckles. "Has anyone ever told you that your name really suits you? Beautiful Bella. You really are very beautiful."

"Such a sweet-talker, even at this time of morning," I say, my voice still hoarse.

"You are," he insists. "Even if you do sleep with your mouth open."

At this, my eyes open wide. "I do _not_ sleep with my mouth open."

"Yes, you do," he smiles. The hand that had been stroking my thigh trails upwards and sideways to my bare ass, cupping one cheek firmly. "Wide open, Love. Matter of fact, you've got some drool drying up around here." With his other hand, he wipes away what I can only assume is supposed drool from the side of my mouth. "The things I could stick in your mouth while you're sleeping, and you'd never even know," he muses - and laughs when I smack his hand away.

"Don't you _ever_ even think of sticking anything in my mouth while I'm sleeping," I growl, "unless you want to risk having it bitten the fuck off."

He cringes, but his eyes sparkle with mirth. "Ouch. Alright, warning duly noted. I'll wait 'til you're fully awake to stick things in your mouth." The hand on my ass slides between my cheeks, his fingers grazing places I'm not used to being touched first thing in the morning. It feels…extremely intimate…and sensual.

"However," he continues, "I make no promises as to your state of consciousness when I _explore_ other parts of you."

"Edward…" I close my eyes and chuckle. "You're so bad."

"How are you feeling this morning?" he asks, humor in his voice while he continues his languid stroking.

"Just the tiniest bit hung over," I say.

He removes his hand and hovers over me, supporting his weight on his arms, but he's hard - of course - so his stiff dick pokes my stomach.

"The tiniest bit, huh? You're a lightweight," he smirks. "What do you remember about last night?"

I push him on his back and straddle him, pressing my bare breasts into his bare chest and feeling his entire swollen length nudging against my tummy. I bury my face into the crook of his neck, inhaling the manly scent of him. His groans make my nipples tingle.

"What do you remember, Bella?"

"I remember the best parts," I whisper against his skin, my hand trailing down to grip his thick and swollen appendage. "I remember you pulling off my panties and burying this deep inside me. Deep, deep, deep. So deep I couldn't breathe."

He's quiet for a few seconds. I stroke his length base to tip, and he groans once again, and I feel the bulge engorging so much that I can barely wrap my fingers around it.

"You remember _that_, do you?" he says.

"Mhm," I reply, working him quickly and firmly while my mouth skims his collarbone and chest. "I could never forget _that_."

"Bella…oh Bella…" he sighs deeply, a sigh that seems to come from deep within his chest. Abruptly, he grabs my hips and lines himself up just right. "Good to know you remember that. But just in case, let me give you a reminder."

He pulls me over him quick and hard, arching his hips while holding me prone and firm over him, groaning lowly. "Uhh, Jesus, Bella…you don't understand…every time with you…"

Meanwhile, all I can do is throw my head back and breathe out through narrowed lips, too overwhelmed with the feel of him inside me to even make a sound. I look back down at him and get a grip on his strong shoulders so that I can rise and fall over him. We find our rhythm quickly, hip to hip, rocking against each other. He lifts off of the mattress in long, smooth upward strokes, filling me completely before pulling back while I undulate to and fro, meeting his thrusts and creating the most beautiful friction.

"_Ohhh Edward_…"

"_Bellahhh_…"

Edward takes my hands and laces our fingers together, holding them out to our sides, and without his shoulders or chest to brace myself on, he does most of the work. His eyes are locked on mine, dark and hooded with passion while we go on like that for an indeterminable amount of time, swaying and kissing. He pulls my hands to bring me closer to him, sitting up under me so that he can hit me from a completely different angle. I whimper and he wraps his arms around my waist, bringing me closer still as if trying to meld our bodies together, and I've got the strangest sensation that I'm safe from everything in the damn world while he makes love to me. He captures my mouth and swallows up all my sounds, sucking on my lips tenderly. I wind my arms around his neck, and we're practically one at this point; closer than we've ever been.

I have no idea where he ends and I begin.

"Bella…feel this…_feel_ it…"

"I do…I do…"

He picks me up and sucks a nipple deep into his mouth. Then he slams me down over him once, twice, and that's as much as I can take. My orgasm tears through me in one long, beautiful, blissful wave.

And Edward holds me tight, impaling himself and grunting that beautiful grunt that's already become familiar in the past few days, shuddering in my arms, giving me his all for the few moments we have left together, just as he'd promised.

OOOOOOOOOO

The sun is almost done rising. The light streaming in through the closed hotel blinds becomes brighter and brighter while Edward and I lie spooned together in bed, talking and teasing and tangling our legs under the covers. Still, the encroaching daylight reminds me that it's the beginning of a new day: Sunday.

I'll be leaving in two days. In a short while, Edward will have to go get the catamaran ready for the morning cruise. Despite the wondrous love we made just a short while ago, my chest feels tight. It's as if every second that passes is a weight pressing down on me. Every hour. Every minute. It's an overturned hourglass, each piece of sand choking off my air supply.

"Tell me more about your hometown - about Forks," I say, reaching for any topic to keep the growing headache and confusion at bay.

"About Forks," he says. "Hmm, let me see."

He tells me about growing up there, about his parents and friends and family and about going off to college in California. And I tell him about New York, and about how fast-paced life can get, how down-time tends to feel like wasted time.

"That's a shame," he says. "Down time definitely isn't wasted time."

"Forks sounds so beautiful. I'm having a hard time understanding why you left."

"It was good," he agrees, prickling the skin at the nape of my neck with his warm breaths. "But…I don't know…Forks…Cali…it was all the daily grind. Maybe not as crazy as New York, but we had our nine to five there too, and school and all that, and the stressors of daily life."

"But that's how real life is, Edward."

Again, he's quiet for a few seconds. He's been doing that a lot this morning, it seems. This time, I feel him stiffen around me as well – and not in the good way.

"Says who?" he finally asks, his voice tight. "What's this hang-up of yours with real life? What makes your life over there so much more real than this life, than what we…what _I_ have here?"

His hands are resting over my stomach. I squeeze them tight within my own.

"I didn't mean that your life here isn't real Edward; rather, I meant that you work hard here too. Don't tell me you don't. I mean, it may not be a nine to five, but you take the catamaran out two, three times a day; you dive into the water all day, swimming back and forth, catering to all those tourists. Don't tell me it's easy."

Once again, he falls into a heavy silence. When he turns us over so that he's lying over me, supporting his weight on his arms, he locks me in his gaze.

"It's not easy. It's hectic. It's a lot of running around. Taking a lot of bullshit from people. But it's the life I _chose_, Bella, not a life that was chosen for me or that I simply allowed to happen. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate everything my parents ever did for me, the education they paid for and everything, but…a lot of times people seem to assume that because our parents make a life in one place, we have to make a life in the same area. Then it all follows from there, like we're an extension of our parents' lives, of what they want for us, of what everyone expects for us and from us. And sometimes that's fine, but sometimes…we're meant to make our lives in a completely different place, in a totally different way than what anyone, including ourselves, ever expected. And there's nothing wrong with that."

I nod thoughtfully, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. "It must be completely different."

"In some ways it is," he smiles. "In other ways, Key West isn't that different from Forks."

"You said it rains all the time there," I grin.

"Well, yeah, other than the constant rain versus constant sunshine," he smirks. "However, they're both small, tight-knit communities. Yes, you've got the thousands of tourists here, but those of us who live here know each other, look out for each other. We've got one another's backs. So who says real life has to be something you don't enjoy, something that stresses you the fuck out?"

He's breathing harder than normal, nostrils slightly flared. I cup his cheek, stroking his face, gazing into those eyes, and my chest constricting when I think…only two more days. There are so many things going through my head, thoughts all jumbled. There are things I want to say, but they'd probably come out as jumbled and nonsensical as my thoughts.

"You're really happy here."

"Yeah, I am. I needed this; I mean, I didn't know it at the time, but…" He draws in a shaky breath, his eyes piercing mine. "Sometimes…sometimes you have no idea how much you want or need something until…until it's right in front of you."

I swallow thickly, unable to look away from the intensity of his gaze. He traces the outline of my lips with his finger…

"I've gotta go," he reminds me. "You want me to give you a call when we're back?"

He's not asking me to come with him, not this morning. And yes, I know that we're both ignoring the glaring fact that I'll be gone in a couple of days. I don't know what that means to him. I'm only starting to figure out what that may mean to me. And I know the smart thing to do is to pull away, for me not to go with him this morning.

I don't know. I don't know anything right now.

"Yeah, give me a call," I say.

He sets his perfect jaw, that jaw of awe tight, and nods, lifting his body off of me in one smooth, fluid motion, leaving me cold in the process. Then he walks around picking up his clothes while I wrap myself up tightly in the cool, hotel sheets.

"I'll see you later, Bella," he says, leaving without another glance my way.

OOOOOOOOOO

Alice, Rose and I spend another morning by the pool. They keep giving me these looks, full of pity; worse than the looks they gave me when we first arrived here on Key West after the Asshole That Shall Not Be Named dumped me. I close my eyes, tilt my head up to the sun, and try not to think.

As promised, when Edward returns to land, he calls me, and I'm flooded with relief because a part of me feared he wouldn't.

When I go meet him by the docks, he's got that crooked, impish grin on his face, seeming much calmer than he did this morning.

"So what are we doing?" I ask while he swings our tangled hands between us.

"Well, Sunday afternoons are food shopping days for me. You mind a trip to Publix?"

"No," I chuckle.

We get on the moped and head for the only Publix on the island. There, we stock up on fresh fruit, cheese, veggies, cold cuts and all sorts of bread because Edward apparently lives on sandwiches – unless he's at Maria's.

Then we head back to his place, where I cut up fruit and sauté some veggies while Edward makes us subs for lunch.

And then we make love on the couch for a couple of hours.

Afterwards, we go snuba-diving again, exploring the colorful reefs, the curious sea-life, and I commit it all to memory; all the beauty, the feeling of everlasting wonder.

By early evening, Edward seems to have sunk into a vow of silence. He doesn't invite me to shower with him after we return from snuba-diving, and he doesn't come for me while I'm in the shower, or even while I'm getting dressed.

He's pulling away, and I know it has to happen. I know it. We lead two completely different lives, in two completely different places. There is no in-between. We can talk and make promises, yet regardless of today's technology, long distance is long distance. He has a life here, and I…

He asks me if I'd like to go to Maria's for dinner, and I accept. The rest of the guys are going to meet us there he tells me, and he's asked Paul to pick up Rose and Alice in his car.

"It'll be a sort of going-away, party," he says, grinning, though there's absolutely no humor in his expression or in his eyes.

I simply nod.

As we're walking out of his place, I wonder to myself if this is the last time I'll be here, if today was the last time I'll sail on the _Esme_, or Snuba with Edward, or…make love with him. Tomorrow is Monday, and I _have_ to pack; I can't put it off any more, and Edward has a full day of cruises again.

The weight on my chest, it's almost suffocating.

Before I can take a step off the porch, Edward takes my arm. When I turn around, he looks strangely agitated. His hand skims down my skin, fingers tracing the veins in my arms until he reaches my hand and laces our fingers together.

"Just hear me out, okay?"

"Okay."

He swallows thickly, running a hand through his hair.

"What if…what if…you didn't leave?"

"What?"

He draws in a deep breath, squaring his already angular jaw. "Listen to me; I've been thinking about this. I don't think what you need is to go back to New York - at least not right now."

I can only stare at him.

"You've got all that shit going on over there, Bella. Just take a break for a couple of months or so. Ten days isn't enough to get your head on straight."

"Edward," I sigh. "Edward, it's a nice thought - a great daydream, but it's not realistic."

"Why isn't it realistic, Bella?" he hisses. "Why do you insist on making all of this out to be some sort of unrealistic world? It's not. You've seen for yourself. There's hard work, and there are people you've got to watch out for, and there are bills to pay and grocery shopping to do. But there's also fun and friends and real responsibilities. It's as real as it gets."

"Fine; it's real, but I've got a life over there, Edward. I left behind a fucking mess that I have to clean up whether I like it or not!"

"What life do you have over there?" he snorts. "The life you've told me about on more than one occasion isn't one you sound exactly happy with!"

"Whether I'm happy with it or not, it's my life! I can't just…I can't just drop everything! I've got clients! I've got family and friends! I can't move over here for a few months with the excuse that I need to clear my head!"

He closes the space between us and cradles my face in his hands. "First of all, we're in the Southern-most tip of Florida, not Africa. You can handle your clients from here if necessary. Your family and friends can come visit you easily. My parents come down once a year when the rain in Forks becomes too much to handle, and I've made the trip back home a few times too."

I'm trying to shake my head, but he's holding it tight, refusing to let me.

"I can't. I can't."

"Why not?" he asks impatiently.

"Because I just can't, Edward. If I could…"

"Where does it say you can't, Bella? Where is it written that we as humans _have_ to stress ourselves out or else we're not leading a _real_ life? Where does it say that we're not allowed to make life easier and more enjoyable for ourselves if given the opportunity? Where does it say that you have to deal with all that bullshit you left behind? Let the asshole who caused the mess clean it the fuck up! Bella, you make the rules in your life, no one else."

"Edward…" I hold his gaze, my heart racing erratically. "Edward, I've only known you for a few days."

I watch as his head jerks back. He blinks a few times, as if trying to focus. Then he lets go of my face.

"This isn't about me, Bella," he says coolly, "or about us. This is about you, about a break you need and deserve; about a chance you can take before you get sucked back into a life that sounds like it's overwhelming you. I'm not asking you to stay for me. I'm just suggesting that perhaps you should stay for yourself."

A quick yet extremely sharp ache shoots through my chest, as if I've just been speared through. I'm not even sure what I expected him to say, but it sure as hell wasn't that. And as I watch him, there is absolutely no expression in his face.

Still, I refuse to allow the ache to grow or spread because Edward is right. This can't be about us. We've known each other for less than two weeks.

So as I stand there with Edward, I revert to what I know: to logic and logistics and organization and coordination; things that make sense because nothing fucking else makes sense right now. My mind replays the past few days, and no, they haven't been the completely lazy and laid back days I thought I'd need to clear my head. They've been full of swimming and snorkeling and diving and laughing and helping on the catamaran…and so exhilarating.

And though I haven't forgotten what happened a little over a week ago, about The Wedding That Wasn't or about The Fiancée Who Didn't Want Me, I haven't ached for either of them, not for a wedding that would've been a mistake, or for a man who never took my breath away - not the way the man before me has since the first night I saw him.

But it's been less than two weeks. It's been less than two weeks.

So what does it all mean? Does it mean that in my time here, my time with Edward, I've refused to face reality? Or…does it mean that perhaps I'm allowing myself another reality, one in which I can begin to accept that the life I've been leading hasn't been the right one for me. Can I truly make my own rules? Can I leave all that behind without forcing myself to face things I'd rather not face, or would that just be running?

And most importantly, if I did decide to stay; if I took that leap and made this change in my life whether for a couple of months or longer, would I be doing it for me…or for him? Because where would it leave me if I did make this move and he and I went nowhere? How would I deal with that? How could I deal with that?

"I have to think, Edward," I say, closing my eyes because I can't think straight…I can't breathe if I look into those vibrant, sea-green eyes. "I can't just…I can't just make a decision like this off the cuff."

"Of course," he says, his voice strangely formal. "But Bella, do think about it. Like I said, I'm not asking you to stay for me," he repeats, "I just think that in the long run, it would benefit you and give you a chance to really figure out what you want from life."

I nod, hearing the logic in his words, in his suggestion, but for some reason, feeling so empty at the same time.

"I'll think about it. I've got to put this idea into perspective and figure out what, in the long run, would benefit _me_."

"Exactly."

"Yeah."

"Alright."

"Okay."

He rakes a hand through his hair again, an action I'm not used to from him.

"Alright then, you ready to go eat?"

"Yes."

And with his hand on the small of my back, fingers barely touching me, he leads me towards the moped.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Now don't tell me this is angst. This is a "bump." ;)**

**Next chapter: EPOV. :)**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**See you all tomorrow. **


	14. Ch 14 How I Became & Stopped Being A Pus

**A/N: Ready?**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes.**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 14 – How I Became and Then Stopped Being a Pus*y**

**EPOV**

"When did you become such a pussy, Man?" Paul chuckles.

That's a good question.

There's a tropical disturbance brewing in the Atlantic; it's still weak enough where no one's getting worked up, but it's strong enough to roughen up tonight's waters. We won't know 'til morning if the _Eclipse_ can keep to tomorrow's schedule. Now normally, I wouldn't give a shit about rough waters or tropical storms other than for how they impact business.

But tonight, I'm not in the mood to dive with Paul – which is why he's calling my manhood into question. I'm not in the mood for his shit either. And I'm definitely in no mood to hang around here with him and the rest of them.

What I am in the mood for is…for _her._

For Bella.

I'm always in the mood for Bella.

Shit, when _did _I become such a pussy?

Could've been eight nights ago when I first saw her standing by herself at the marina looking all beautiful and alone and just…breathtaking. So breathtaking that despite the fact that she walked away from me – something I sure as hell wasn't used to - I practically begged for her name.

Then again, it could've been the next morning, when she first boarded my catamaran and had the utter gall to try to ignore me while wearing that tiny, white bikini.

Or it could've been when I took her snorkeling and held her hot, little body in my arms, and though I'm still not entirely sure she would've objected, I didn't even try to cop a feel.

Or was it when I had to spend the day with her so that she wouldn't consider it "hooking up" once we fucked?

Or hold on, even more plausible:

Was it when I enjoyed the _hell_ out of that day?

Was it when I decided that I didn't want that day to end, or when after she'd already told me she _wanted_ me, I purposely and willingly planned _another_ night with her before fucking her?

Was it when I took her on the _Esme;_ my boat, my _baby_? A boat on which I've never taken any girl on other than Tanya and my mom, or was it when I took her snuba-diving around places I'd never even considered sharing with some tourist chick?

More likely, it was probably when I decided that I'd show her anything or take her to any dive spot in the world if I could see her face light up the way it did that night.

Was it when I didn't even consider that red-head's offer the day after Bella and I slept together? When I felt guilty for even letting her touch my hand? When the red-head stuck her key-card and phone number in my front pocket, mere centimeters from my cock, and it didn't even twitch at her hand's proximity?

Though now that I think about it, I'm leaning towards the possibility that it was when she worked with us on the catamaran. When she willingly and without my asking shared the most important part of my life: my business, my livelihood, my _passion. _

Confused as hell, I lean against the railing to Paul's small porch while he and the rest bullshit all around me, and I just stare at the beer bottle in my hand.

And then I snort to myself because man, who the hell am I kidding? I know exactly when I became a pussy; it was earlier today, when I asked Bella to stay. But that's not the part that's marked me as a bonafide coward.

It's the fact that I may have lied, more than a little bit, when I told her I wasn't asking her to stay for me.

OOOOOOOOO

Finally alone with my thoughts out on Paul's porch steps, I feel the tropical winds picking up, taking on a life of their own. Palm trees bend and sway in the darkness, increasing gusts blow through the night, whipping up my hair and whistling through my ears.

All the other guys have gone inside, yet here I am still, nursing the same damn beer bottle for the past couple of hours since I dropped off Bella at her resort without asking her to spend the night with me since she said she had to _think_ about her options.

I mean, I gave her a really good piece of advice, and she's gotta think about it? What the hell is there to think about? I was calm, I was rational, I was analytical; my argument made total logical sense. I _do_ think Bella would be better off staying here. She's got so much shit – unnecessary shit - going on up in New York. That's the thing she doesn't realize. Why does she _have_ to put herself through all that garbage back there? Why does she _have_ to deal with the repercussions of a marriage that wasn't? Let the fucker pay for everything; her parents can send back the gifts, sell the fucking dress on eBay, and that's that. Only thing left after that would be questions from nosey fuckers and well wishes and "you'll be fines" from a bunch of people who don't care one way or the other.

And then there's her job. She hates it, plain and simple. She may have enjoyed it at one point, but Bella as an investment manager for the rest of her life makes about as much sense as me in a business suit day in and day out.

So I suggested she take a few months because I know firsthand how good this place can be at helping you clear your head. She can swim and dive and lie under the sun, and then if and when she returns to New York, she'll have a better idea of what she really wants from life.

Yet she's got to think about it? Think about it? What kind of shit is that?

"Fuck," I growl quietly to myself, scrubbing a hand down my face.

The screen door behind me squeaks, and a few seconds later, Tanya takes a seat on the porch steps next to me. She inhales deeply, sucking in the night air.

"Mmm, smell that storm coming? I'd say it's still a couple of days before it gets good. When's Bella leaving again?"

I try to inhale to get a whiff of that storm, but my lungs don't seem to be functioning just right. So instead, I glare down at the bottle in my hands. "Tuesday afternoon."

"Mm," she grunts. "Might be cutting it close. Maybe she should take an earlier flight out of KWI, like tomorrow, if she wants to make sure she gets out. I know my storms, Cuz, and this one's gonna be a little bit of trouble."

"Hm," I say.

"Unless…you've got other ideas…"

I look over at her, spreading my legs out in front of me like a brace against the coming storm. "I actually suggested that she should stay a bit longer."

She lifts a brow. "Oh really? What, like to ride out the storm?"

"Uh…" I rake a hand through my hair, "actually, she's got a lot of unnecessary shit going on back home. Remember when we came down, Tan? I had that crap going on with Kate, and you had that close-minded father of yours. It's good to get away for a while…or sometimes…even to start fresh."

She stares out in front of her. "Sometimes that definitely is good. So what'd she say?"

My eyes focus intently on the beer bottle again. "She said she'd think about it," I sneer. "She'd fucking think about it. You damn women," I say with a shake of my head. "Give you a good piece of advice, and you've gotta _think_ about it."

Tanya snorts. "Well, if it were me you'd given that _lovely_ piece of advice to, and that's how you actually phrased it, I don't think I'd even bother to think about it."

My head whips up to her. "How was I supposed to phrase it?" I smirk.

She cocks her head sideways. "Honestly, Edward? You're not that dense, Cuz."

I draw in a deep breath, looking away from her.

"Tanya, I've known her for less than a week and a half."

"And you knew Kate for almost four years, yet I never once saw you look at her the way you look at Bella. You sure as hell were never willing to really curb the smooth-talk for her."

"Yeah, well," I grin wryly, "I can curb the smooth-talk all I want, yet it's still not up to me now is it?"

"Are you sure it isn't?" She stares at me, then slowly gets up, walking to her moped. "Good night, Edward. Let me know early if we're sailing or not. I wouldn't mind sleeping in tomorrow."

"Yeah. 'Night, Tan."

OOOOOOOOOO

It's two in the morning by the time I make it back to my own place. The wind gusts have picked up; they tilt the moped from side to side, cutting through my shirt and seeping into my skin like hands on my bare flesh. If I concentrate enough, I can pretend they're Bella's hands as she holds on to my waist, or her legs wrapped around me over the moped. The whistling becomes her screams of exhilaration. It took her a couple of days to get used to, but she loves riding with me now. In my mind's eye, I see her grinning as she navigates through the streets of Old Town on her own moped...

Then I shake it all off before I fucking crash.

Back at my place, I find myself standing by the sliding doors leading to the dock and watching the growing waves slam against the wooden jetties, overflowing in white swells into the landing. The boats bob and bounce like plastic toys in a giant tub, and _Esme _weaves and sways in the water. I'm going to have to secure her to make sure she doesn't float away on me.

And then I smile when I picture Bella on deck in her little white, bikini; her long, dark hair flowing over her sexy shoulders while she shakes her head at some dirty comment I've made, yet at the same time, she gives me that impish smile of hers and one of her smart-ass retorts.

"My naughty girl," I grin to myself.

And then slap a palm to my forehead. "_Fuck!_" I grunt. "Snap out of it, Masen! She's just some chick here for ten days. Day after tomorrow, she'll be gone, and everything will return to normal."

Yeah, everything'll return to normal.

OOOOOOOOOO

There's a different feel to the Key the next morning, something only those of us that live here can sense. The early weather reports confirm that something's coming, though the magnitude can't be measured just yet. Could be nothing more than a lot of wind and rain; could be more. Either way, first thing I do when I wake up is call Tanya and let her know to call the rest of the crew. The _Eclipse_ is grounded for the day. Then I send out a bunch of apologetic emails offering refunds or rescheduling of trips.

_When did you become such a pussy, Man?_

I groan to myself as I climb on the moped and head towards the tourist district.

"Something's coming," Felix says when I get to the beat-up old trailer for my breakfast. "You can smell it in the air," he says, scrunching up his nose and sniffing around him.

"You sound like Tanya," I smirk. But it's true; you can actually smell the storm coming, the sweet, pungent scent of seawater and humidity and damp earth all mixing together.

"Speaking of pretty girls, where's the girl that came with you the other day?"

"Getting ready to go home," I say.

"She better get while she still can," Felix laughs. "The right kind of storm at just the right time will keep her from going anywhere for a while. You can't fight nature."

"No," I say, taking my sandwich from him. "You can't fight it, can you?"

OOOOOOOOOO

My heart jumps when the elevator ding announces I'm on her floor. The doors open up into an empty hallway; it stretches and lengthens, going on for miles and miles like in one of those horror movies, and I swallow thickly before stepping off.

And then I chuckle to myself as I step out.

When did I become such a _dramatic_ pussy?

With eager footsteps, I make my way through the long-ass corridor because when you realize that you have no fucking desire whatsoever to fight nature, and when you realize that it may not be so bad after all to be whipped by the perfect girl, you want the girl who's holding the whip to be the first to know.

The door to Bella's suite is slightly ajar, so I push it open.

"Bella?"

No answer.

"Rose? Alice?"

Nothing.

I walk towards Bella's bedroom, more than a bit surprised when I open her door to find a guy in there, some suited-up, blond fuck anxiously pacing back and forth from the dresser to the bed with his arms full of clothing.

Bella's clothing.

He's throwing it all into a suitcase perched and open over the bed. When he looks up suddenly and sees me, his steps falter. Though I keep my eyes on him, out of my periphery, I think I see white, lace panties in his right hand.

"Who the hell are you?" he asks.

"Who the hell are you?" I throw right back at him.

"I'm Mike, Bella's fiancée."

"Mike? Oh, right." I nod slowly. "Mike, the _ex_-fiancee."

His eyes narrow, forehead creasing. "Okay," he says carefully. "You apparently know who I am, but I still don't know who the hell you are."

"I'm Edward," I grin. "Bella's friend."

He stares at me long and hard, and I watch as the wary confusion on his face slowly morphs into wild suspicion. His hand clenches around Bella's pretty panties.

It doesn't sit well with me. Not at all.

"Look, I don't know what's been going on between you and my fiancée-"

"_Ex_-fiancee."

"Whatever," he sneers. "The point is, I came to take her back home with me. There's a storm coming, and they're talking about closing Key West International. Now if something went on between you two, I'm willing to disregard it because I guess I hurt her, and obviously," he looks me up and down derisively, "you were her vacation rebound."

Despite the almost overwhelming urge to slam my fist into this guy's weak jaw, I resist because there are more important things I need clarified.

"Does Bella know you're here?"

"Of course she does!"

"And she agreed to this?" I gesture towards the open, overflowing suitcase on Bella's bed.

"Of course!" he cries indignantly. "Now do us both a favor and leave. Bella will be back any minute, and I need to have her stuff ready. I've chartered an airplane that's waiting to take us home."

I mean, that right there merits me punching him in his pale, dumb-ass face, doesn't it? Who the fuck charters a plane and plans to fly the woman he supposedly loves on it in this weather?

When I take a step closer, he takes a step back.

"Let me tell you something, Mike The _Ex_," I scowl, "I don't know what's going on here, but I do know this: _no one _is flying Bella anywhere in this weather; chartered, rickety piece of shit or not."

He gives a startled jump when I snatch Bella's panties out of his hand.

And then I walk out.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Come on, come on!" I growl, slamming my palm hard against the elevator call button.

I've got to find Bella. I can't think beyond that. I've got to find Bella and de-pussify myself before it's too late. I've got to tell her the truth; admit that part of my advice last night also benefited-

"Rose, I've got to do this."

Down the corridor and around the corner, the stairwell door creaks open two seconds before I hear that voice.

"Bella, you know I'll support you no matter what; I just don't want you to feel pressured into this decision."

"I'm not feeling pressured. This is what I've wanted all along. I know that now."

My heart drops to my feet.

"But are you sure it's the right decision?" I hear Alice ask.

"I'll never know unless I go for it, right? Rose, Al, you don't understand. He came for me!" Bella exclaims. "I know it shouldn't mean so much, and I know I shouldn't base my decision solely on that, and I'm not, I swear I'm not, but…"

She trails off as she rounds the corner and sees me.

I have no idea what I must look like right now: breathing hard while I try to suck air into constricted lungs, pissed off, heart feeling like it's shattering into a thousand pieces. It can't be a pleasant sight.

"Edward!" she breathes excitedly, grinning from ear to ear just like a blushing, bride-to-be because I guess she's happy now; meanwhile, I still can't suck enough air into my lungs to respond.

Rose sighs, and Alice gives me a sad smile, probably thinking what a sad, pitiful fucker I am.

"Guess you two have stuff to work out," Rose says. She gives me her own sad smile before she and Alice head for the suite.

And then Bella and I are left alone in the quiet hallway standing just a few feet apart and staring at each other.

"I saw your-"

"I heard your-"

I smirk, and she chuckles all giggly and bouncy and shit.

"Go ahead," she smiles. "You go first."

"I heard your conversation," I blurt because I need to get this over with, like ripping off the most painful, fucking Band-Aid ever.

She cocks her head sideways, still smiling. "Aw man, you heard us? _I_ wanted to tell you."

"Well, I saved you the trouble. Now I know," I say, nostrils flaring.

A crease forms between her pretty, perfect brows. "I hope it's okay with you."

"Like I said before, it's your decision, your life, not mine."

The crease deepens. "Yeah, you did say that over and over. Look, it doesn't have to affect you in any way if you don't want it to. I'm just not the type to be on an extended vacation; it's not in me. I need to work. I need to stay busy, but I'll figure something out. This was a good vacation, a _great_ vacation, but I need to get on track."

I can't even stop myself. Even with the almost overwhelming ache in my chest and the struggle for air, I manage to rush her and press her against the wall, cradling her head between my shaking hands so she doesn't hurt herself. She gasps in shock.

"Fine. Fine," I hiss. "I understand all that. You're a logical thinker, but you don't have to marry him, Bella! He fucking left you at the altar! He didn't treasure you the way you deserve to be treasured! He _failed_ to see the perfection in you," I breathe intently while she just stares at me as if I've lost my mind.

"Do you remember when we went snuba-diving yesterday, and I brought up that oyster for you? Only when we opened it, there was nothing inside?"

She nods vehemently, her eyes wide. "Yes, but-"

"It wasn't empty. I mean, yeah it was, but…that's you, Bella. _You're_ the pearl inside that oyster. _You're_ the treasure, and he fucking failed to see that. He had his chance, and he didn't take it!"

For what feels like forever, she just stares at me, her beautiful breasts heaving, pressed against my chest, soft and warm. And all I can think of is that I'll never feel them under my hands again; I'll never see that look of excitement in her face when I take her for a dive; I'll never hear her smart retorts when she pretends to be offended when I talk dirty to her; I'll never again watch her sleeping with her mouth open.

"Edward-"

"What I'm trying to say, Bella, is that it was only nine days, but they were the best nine days of my _life_," I say, leaving the pussy behind because I've got to tell her. "_I_ wanted to treasure you. I wanted you to be _my_ sea pearl."

Her bottom lip quivers, and her deep, dark brown eyes fill with moisture right before she fists my hair in her hands and pulls my mouth down to hers.

And I shove my tongue inside her mouth and put every damn thing I can into this kiss because if it's my last chance at convincing her, my last opportunity to show her what we can be, then damn it, I'm gonna give it my all. So I suck on those sweet lips and groan when I press my cock against her hips because I'm not above using sex to get her if that's what it takes. Given a little more time, I can convince her of the rest.

"If it's the flirting, I'll get that shit under control. I swear I will."

"Edward," she chuckles against my mouth, fisting the hair at the nape of my neck. "Edward…"

"Yeah, Bella. You see? You see how it is with us?" I trail my mouth across her cheeks to her ear. "You feel that? I know you do. I know it…"

"Edward…" She pulls back and meets my gaze. "I have no friggin' idea what you're talking about, but I do feel it; I do."

I frown, circling those soft, swollen lips with a finger. "But…I thought…you told Rose…"

"What did I tell Rose?" She smiles curiously.

"You said…he came for you."

Her smile grows. "I said _you_ came for me."

"Me?"

"Yes. I saw your moped downstairs, and I knew that despite how…awkwardly we left things yesterday, you had come for me. I mean, I'd already made my decision, but knowing you came looking for me yet _again…_" She shrugs. "You always come looking for me, Edward, since the night we met."

"Bella," I say, trying to control the way my voice shakes with barely repressed hope, "what exactly are you saying?"

She giggles. "I'm saying…I'm saying that…I weighed the pros and cons, and I looked at it from every angle, rationally and…maybe a little irrationally too, and…I'm staying."

I don't even try to play it off. I blow out a huge gust of air through narrowed lips, inhaling deeply afterward, filling my lungs with air that was previously denied to me until this moment.

"And I'm not doing this _just_ for you," she clarifies quickly, "though…you and I…it was a major consideration."

By this point, I'm grinning so wide I think my face may split in two. "Bella…" I slide my hands around her soft, silky neck. "Bella, I bold-faced lied to you yesterday when I said I wasn't suggesting you stay for me. I do believe it would be good for you, I really do, but…I also want you…I _need_ you to stay…for me. Because otherwise, I can't breathe, Bella."

And now she's the one grinning widely. "I was hoping you'd say that because I've been having trouble breathing too. Just to make it clear though, I do have to go back and settle a few things, and when I return here, I'm taking it a month at a time."

"I can live with that." Especially since I know that with the storm brewing outside, she's not going anywhere for at least another week.

So I draw in another breath, feeling as if my chest has expanded to full capacity - and then I dip my mouth to hers and kiss her exquisitely soft lips.

Then I remember something else. "Wait a minute, so what did you mean when you said you weren't the type to remain on an extended vacation?"

"I just meant…I mean I was hoping…I could work on the _Eclipse_." She bites her lip, and looks up at me through her long, curved eyelashes. "I promise I'll earn my keep."

This woman. She just makes me happier and happier. And I've got this feeling…like it'll be this way…for a long, long while.

"Oh I'll make you earn your keep alright," I grin.

She bursts into laughter, shaking her head, pretending to be shocked again. "Jesus, Edward, you are such a bad boy!"

"So you keep telling me," I murmur, and then I push her up against the wall again, fitting my mouth and body to hers, and this here is the thing that she doesn't even know, the thing that got me from the very beginning:

_No one_ has ever fit against me the way she does. I mean, it's _perfect_: arm to arm, leg to leg, thigh to thigh, mouth to mouth. There is no end and no beginning when we're together. You'd think we were one body that had been split into two.

And Bella doesn't waste any time. She wraps herself around me, moaning when my tongue invades her warm, wet mouth, groaning when my cock thrusts against her hips. Instead of complaining about being in an open, hotel hallway, she grabs my ass with both hands and pulls me closer, hitching her leg up and around my thigh, so I can hit her pussy better.

"My naughty girl," I grin against those tender lips.

"I _am_ your naughty girl," she chuckles breathily, but the chuckles die away when I roll my hips against her.

"_Oh_, _Edward_…" She throws her head back, and I suck on the sweet skin she's just exposed under her collarbone, dry humping the hell out of her while she makes all these sweet, sexy little sounds, holding on to me tightly.

"What the hell is this?"

There's a sudden, loud thump behind us. Begrudgingly, we break apart and look over.

It's Mike The Ex - with Bella's open and overflowing suitcase at his feet. His beady, blue eyes are practically bulging out of their sockets.

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot about him," I muse quietly.

"Mike, what the hell are you still doing here? I thought I told you you'd better be gone when I got back to my room?" Bella says.

"How could you do this to me?" he cries. "I told you I was sorry!"

"And I told you it made no difference! I'm with Edward now!"

I won't lie; those words thrill the hell out of me. For a split second, I kinda feel sorry for the beady-eyed fucker.

"Well, that was pretty quick, wasn't it?" Mike spits contemptuously.

Matter of fact, no, I don't.

Bella looks at me, and I look at her, and then we both chuckle.

And as I gaze at her, at my beautiful, wonderful, sexy, naughty and sea-loving Bella, I know I'll never want or need to look at any other woman again.

"Yeah, it was," I say and press my mouth to hers once more.

OOOOOOOOO

I have no idea what happened with Mike after that.

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**So here's the thing: we've got one more chapter left, and then the Epilogue. Since tomorrow is Friday, the final chapter will post as scheduled, but then THE EPILOGUE WILL POST ON SATURDAY. **

**I didn't see the point in waiting until next Monday to post that. :)**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**

**And…there's lots of things I can say about mean, anonymous Guest reviewers, but I'll just reiterate one thing and then I won't mention them again because I get the feeling many just want the attention: THIS IS NOT REQUIRED READING. If you don't like the story, the plot, the grammatical errors, me, etc, etc, stop reading. You're just wasting your time, Guys. ALRIGHT? Thanks.**


	15. Chapter 15 Deep Dive 2

**A/N: And the sun begins to set in beautiful, tropical Key West…:)**

**Betad by the lovely Michelle Renker Rhodes**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Chapter 15 – Deep Dive 2**

I tilt my face upwards to the warm, tropical sun. The heated rays feel like fiery, scorching fingertips caressing my eyelids, burning through my vision in shades of orange and magenta. I sigh.

"Are you nervous?"

Edward's voice is calm and serene, expertly tuned to allay all my fears.

"I am nervous," I admit anyway. "But…I'm much more excited than nervous."

I follow the sound of his voice and open my eyes. The sun has left its imprint behind my lids, and Edward appears surrounded by a bright, glowing halo. His ensuing grin simply illuminates the entire picture all the more. Perfection in a background of perfection. Still, though he looks and sounds as composed and laid-back as always, I see the slight anxiousness that darkens his eyes, the way that awe of jaw is squared just a little more than usual. He reaches out and adjusts my equipment once again, checks the numbers on my SPG for about the umpteenth time.

"You seem even more nervous than I am!" I snort. "I don't know how I feel about my dive instructor being more apprehensive than I am about taking me deep for the first time."

"It's not the first time I've taken you deep, Love," he says. "I've taken you deep many, many times in the past few weeks."

I shake my head at how fresh he is - but I can't disagree.

"Just count it down, and let's go," I chuckle.

It's a beautiful, warm Wednesday morning - not unlike practically every other morning here - and we're perched on the edge of the _Esme_, out in the middle of the waters, just a short distance from Tyler's small, private island, and as I hold Edward's gaze, I can tell that though he _is_ nervous about taking me on my first deep dive, he's also just as excited about it as I am.

"Alright, get ready. Take deep breaths."

I do as I'm told, filling my lungs with the clean, moist air that surrounds me every day here in Key West; air that feels fuller and more life-giving than any air I've ever inhaled before.

"Any last minute thoughts or questions before I stick the mouthpiece in?"

"Just that…I'm really glad I came on this honeymoon."

He chuckles, shaking his head at me. But then he stops and his warm finger traces the outer edge of my lips softly, his eyes following his movements.

"So am I."

And then we grin at each other like a couple of fools so deep into this relationship of ours that the depths of the oceans themselves can't compare.

"Alright," he says. "Now we've practiced this before, and besides, I know you can stick bigger things than this in your mouth with no problem."

"My, my. Cocky, aren't we?"

"Very _cocky_."

I smack his arm, and he laughs while he puts my mouth piece in. Then he helps me with my goggles before putting on his own equipment. I've got on my very own dive suit, purchased by Edward soon after I decided to stay in Key West with him. Some girls get flowers; I get a dive suit.

And I love it.

"Ready?" He asks, and I draw in another deep breath, full of anticipation for what I'm about to do. When I nod, Edward gives me a thumbs up and flips backwards into the water, and I follow.

Not backwards, of course, but I'm getting better at the jumps.

Underwater, I can hear myself breathing, the quiet hum in my ears that rises and falls, rises and falls. My breaths take the form of bubbles, floating transparent in a sea of colors. Edward swims in front of me, his arms spread out in long, powerful strokes barely hidden by the dark, dive suit. He turns around every couple of seconds, making sure I've kept up.

_I'm still here_, I tell him with the smile halfway hidden behind my mask.

I'm still here.

He takes care of me. I work with him, but I don't live with him. Tanya and I are roomies, and I love that girl so much, I swear. Other than Rose and Alice, who I'm missing dearly though we speak and text every day, she's my new bestie.

We dive deep until we're at the very bottom, and my feet touch the ground. I feel weightless and wonderful, as weightless as the clownfish swimming in and out of anemones or as the sea turtles that float by lazily. I reach out and touch the cold, hard back of one, and then I look back at Edward. He floats a few feet away and gives me a thumbs up sign. Then he floats over to me to take my hand and guide me, checking his watch to make sure we're good on time. We explore the sunken ship he brought me to a few weeks ago, the first night we made love, but this time we inspect it much closer. And then I stretch and twirl and laugh because it's exhilarating, this underwater world he shares with me.

And he gives me yet another thumbs up, waving his thumb and pinky from side to side, watching me.

When we resurface to the warm, summer sun, I take off my mask and scream from the euphoric rush I've just experienced, throwing my face up to the sky, to Mother Nature and her gifts.

"Woohoo! Yeah!"

Edward resurfaces at my side and guides me back to the boat. He helps me get my equipment off, and then crashes his mouth to mine, full of his own elation and adrenaline.

"How was that?" he asks, his green eyes sparkling.

"That was perfection!"

"You're perfection," he grins.

"And you're a sweet-talker."

"I'm your sweet-talker."

I push a hand through his wet hair, gazing into his eyes and marveling at all the beauty surrounding me: palm trees, and blue waters and colorful fish and coral…and Edward.

"You so are."

OOOOOOOOOO

Afterwards, we rest on the small, uninhabited island for a while, sitting over our extra-large blanket and feeding each other oysters with squeezed lemon, me in my white bikini and Edward in his red board shorts, both of us looking out at the crystalline ocean in front of us.

"I never asked what's this island's name is, Edward."

"Palm Key," he says, "because of all the palm trees."

"That's a pretty name," I smile.

He leans over close to me, supporting his weight over on forearm while he feeds me another oyster. "When I buy my island," he says, "I'm going to name it BB Key."

"BB Key? Sounds like the name of a chain of cheap restaurants in New York."

"BB Key it is," he maintains, grinning crookedly as he gazes out at the water. "Beautiful Bella Key."

I turn wide eyes his way, unable to say a word, and he brings his eyes back to mine.

"If you really don't like the acronym, we can work out the specifics later on," he chuckles. "But the name itself stays."

"What about the Caribbean Catamaran tour?"

"You want me to name that after you too?" he teases. "The Beautiful Bella Tour of 20-"

"No," I smirk, smacking his bare chest. "When you invited me along…a few weeks ago…did you mean that?"

He chuckles softly and drops his eyes to the sand, peeking back up at me through long, dark lashes.

"Bella, I wouldn't go without you."

I reach out and cradle his jaw, pulling his mouth to mine and pressing my lips to his tenderly.

He's grinning when he pulls back, licking his lips. "Mm. Oysters and your mouth. Now I'm horny." He pats his bare and perfect tummy.

"Don't blame the oysters," I say, raising a brow. "You're perpetually horny."

"You make me that way," he says, and then throws himself back over the blanket, pulling me down over him. I hover over his hard, chiseled body, a body I've come to know as well as my own in the past few weeks. Our relationship is very physical, yes, but it's also so much more than that. We work together, but we also hang out and talk and tease and laugh. We take _Esme_ out to sea and dive or snorkel or just stay on board and do absolutely nothing but watch the sun set, either with or friends, or just he and I...

There's work yes, but it's paradise, and Edward is slowly showing me that _living_ in Paradise is perfectly acceptable.

I shake my head, sighing once more. "There you go being a sweet-talker again," I smirk. But to show him that I have absolutely no problem with his perpetual hard-on, I reach down and free his stiff dick from his shorts.

"What are you gonna do with that?" he grins.

"Absolutely anything I want," I say.

"Oh yeah?"

With my eyes on his, I slink down over his smooth body and take him in my mouth, spurred on by the wonderful sounds he makes, by the way his hand fists my hair as he guides me.

"See, I told you that you're good with stiff objects in your mouth," he says, his voice trembling slightly, the way it gets whenever he tries to speak while we're making love.

I stop sucking, and look up. "How do you go from naming islands after me and inviting me on tropical cruises to something like that?"

He winks at me, chuckling impishly. "We'll figure it out later, but for now, please don't stop, Love. _Ah_ _fuck_," he hisses, throwing his head back when I return my mouth to his dick. I smile to myself and give him a good, long lick that makes him groan.

"Anyway, you're right," I say, kissing the swollen tip. "Seems like having stiff objects in my mouth has become my new favorite hobby."

I think he tries to chuckle again, but this time it comes out like a succession of small, deep grunts. He fondles my breasts while I take him deep, and then he says, "Come here," tapping my thigh. I turn my body around so that I'm straddling him backwards, and he takes off my bikini bottoms, and when I feel his tongue on my clit, I cry out, burying my face in the space between his thigh and scrotum, which in turn makes him cry out. We suck and lick and groan and explore together until he lifts his hips off the blanket and pushes into my mouth so deeply that despite my weak gag reflex, I feel tears pooling at the corners of my eyes. Then, he explodes.

As for me, I was close, but no cigar yet.

But that's okay. I know him now. It won't be long until he's ready again.

Fifteen minutes later, I'm on my back over the blanket with my ankles wrapped around Edward's neck. He's pushing in so hard and deep that I'm sinking into the sand while my body creates an indentation under the blanket.

I chuckle through my moans.

"What's so funny?" he asks, voice trembly, eyes heavy-lidded with sex and lust and….

And that thing we put a name to on the flight back from New York after he accompanied me to tie up loose ends – and to meet my parents and Emmett. Yes, they're concerned, but they begrudgingly like him, and they accept that I have to live my life how and where I see fit. It'll take time, but I know they'll see, just like I did.

So that other thing, the one that's now superseded the sex and the lust, it floats and swims all around us like jellyfish in the deep, growing each day by leaps and bounds. We agreed that this arrangement would be re-examined on a month by month basis, but we both know…

I'm bound to this island as much as he is at this point.

"_Ohh, Deep Diver_, I'm gonna end up in China if you keep pumping into me like that. _Ohh_," I breathe.

He leans in closer, changing the angle, and my back arches as I feel that beautiful tightening and coiling deep in my belly.

And my deep diver kisses me, soft and tender and completely at odds with how he's rocking into me.

"You're not going anywhere," he says, echoing my thoughts from a few seconds ago. "Ever. Not without me."

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**EPILOGUE WILL POST TOMORROW, SATURDAY!**

**See you then. :)**

**Twitter: PattyRosa817**

**Link to 'Stories by PattyRose' is on my profile page.**


	16. Chapter 16 - Epilogue

**Thanks.**

**Betad by Michelle Renker Rhodes**

**Most characters belong to S. Meyer**

* * *

**Epilogue - Five Years Later**

Edward hasn't seen me yet.

He and the rest of the crew arrived from the morning snorkel cruise about ten minutes ago. From where I sit at the marina's restaurant bar, slowly sipping on my Virgin Mango Margarita, I can see the sail waving majestically, the _Eclipse_ logo rolling proudly in the ocean breeze.

"See ya later, Irina!" I call out to the bartender, raising my voice over the steel-drum beats playing in the background.

"See ya!" she calls back. "Tell Edward I said hi. And by the way, you look adorable in that bikini top and sarong!"

I chuckle as I walk off. "I'm not so sure about that, but thanks for the ego boost!"

Now my original plan was to surprise Edward and board the catamaran before he even saw me, but between the heat and exhaustion, it's taken me a full five minutes just to make my way over to the dock. Now he's already off the boat, standing next to the gangway in his white t-shirt and red board shorts, his beautiful, copper hair blowing in the wind as he bids farewell and thank you to all those who took the trip with him.

And as I stand just a few, short feet away and off to the side, in between a couple of large, swaying palm trees that cool me with their gentle flow of air, I watch and smirk to myself as a familiar scene unfolds:

"Help us off, please?"

"Help you off? Sure. That's what I'm here for."

Cue flirtatious giggles as the twenty-something, well-endowed girl makes her way down the platform leading off of the catamaran. She grips Edward's hand tightly, swaying her hips from side to side. Luckily, she manages to make it off without incident.

The next girl however…

"Oops!"

She trips and topples - small-mangoes-first - right towards Edward's chest. Yet before her ripe, little melons can make contact with their bull's-eye, Edward quickly lifts his hands to her shoulders and carefully yet firmly pushes her back into an upright position.

"Whoa," he says.

"Oh…ha, ha," she chuckles. "That was close. Thank goodness you caught me before I could embarrass myself!"

"Thank goodness."

I roll my eyes.

"Anyway, that was the best snorkeling cruise we've ever been on! Wasn't it, Bree?"

"Oh my God, it sure was, Gigi! I had the bestest time ever!"

"That's good to hear. We aim to please."

More giggles.

"I mean, when you dove into the water headfirst like that, all strong and sure and…_manly_," she practically pants. "You didn't even use any snorkel equipment!"

"I don't really need it. I've been doing this for a while and pretty much know what I'm doing down there."

"Oh I bet you know exactly what you're doing _down there_."

Raucous, salacious laughter explodes from her and her friend.

Edward is silent.

"Would you mind taking a picture with us?"

"Not at all."

The two, half-naked girls flank him on either side, each one stretching out an eager arm to wrap around Edward's waist, but when he quickly takes a step back, they're left with their arms wrapped around one another instead.

Meanwhile, Edward stands just behind them, holding both hands up in the air, each hand making a piece sign as he poses.

"There, this'll be a great shot," he says.

From back here, the look that passes between the girls clearly indicates that they do not agree.

"Uhm…okay."

The one holding the camera snaps away a few pictures, but after about ten seconds, Edward backs up even further, which brings the photo-shoot to a halt. He folds his arms against his chiseled chest, and though I can't see his face, I can hear the always friendly smile in his voice.

"Well, on behalf of myself and the rest of the _Eclipse_ crew, we'd like to thank-"

"Do you think you have any room left on tonight's sunset cruise? We'd love to come with you on that one."

"Ooh yes, we'd love to _come_ with you on that one!"

The giggles resume.

"It would be great to have you both join us..." Edward says, "but I don't handle bookings. You'd have to speak to my-"

By this point, I've finally made my way towards him as gracefully as possible - though grace and speed both abandoned me quite a few months ago.

"Good morning, Edward," I say.

He looks up, and when his sea-green eyes meet mine, he grins widely. "Good morning, Love."

I bypass Twiddle-Dee and Twiddle-Dumb and their protruding melons and walk up to Edward, feeling their narrowed eyes on me, eyes that I'd bet my big butt narrow even further when Edward dips his head and presses his mouth to mine, smiling against my lips.

"How was the rest of your morning?"

"Exhausting," I sigh. "And yours?"

"Busy and interesting. Why are you exhausted?" He carries on our conversation as if he and I are the only two people in the world and without waiting for a response, leans down so that his head is level with my bare stomach, cradling it between his hands before placing a gentle kiss right on my protruding belly button. "Were you keeping Mommy awake again, Little Diver?"

"He was," I say.

"Oh, Little Man, not good. Not good at all," he says, talking to my stomach in mock reproach.

This time, _I'm_ the one to giggle. Edward pulls me into his side, somehow managing to wrap his arm around my entire waist so that he can rest his palm over my huge midsection.

"I was just telling a couple of our passengers here that my wife is in charge of the business side of the excursions. They were wondering if there was any room left on tonight's sunset cruise."

"Tonight's cruise? Oh, I'm so sorry," I say. "We would've loved having you join us on the sunset cruise, but I'm afraid the _Eclipse_ is fully booked for tonight. However, I can probably squeeze you in on her sister ship, the _Midnight Sun_."

Mango Girl The Second moves her big, hungry blue eyes over to my husband. "Will _you_ be there, _Edward_?"

Edward pulls me in even closer, tenderly caressing my belly. I rest my head on his shoulder because _I_ can.

"No, I won't," he grins. "This was my last excursion 'til our little diver makes his appearance. Until then, I'll be finishing up a few credits and hanging out with my wife."

And then he leans down and kisses me, and I kiss him back, and somewhere in the middle of it all I think we lose Jessica The Second and Mango Girl The Second because when Edward finally lets me up for air, they're no longer anywhere in sight.

"You know, kissing me like that in front of our clientele can't possibly be good for business, Mr. Masen," I smirk, giving him the line I've given him oh so many times over the years. Yet he insists on always marking his territory – or marking mine, as the case may be. Either way, I've got no problem with it.

"And kissing the bulge probably isn't the best idea either," I add teasingly.

"Trust me, Mrs. Masen," he grins wryly. "It won't put a dent in business. And if it does, it'll be worth it."

And that's the response he's been giving me for years as well. Except for the Mrs. Masen part. That part was just added a little over a year ago after I uncovered that ring in the oyster he'd "found" for me, and after he and I, accompanied by our closest friends and family, took the _Eclipse_ out to sea early one Saturday morning for a private cruise that ended just as it was meant to.

Now, Edward moves in close to my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin, making me shudder despite the fact that I'm due to give birth in two weeks. He smoothes his hand over the life we created one night on the catamaran, in the middle an ocean that bore no witnesses other than the ones twinkling above us.

"God knows my bulge had a great time making this bulge."

He makes me laugh. My dirty, deep diver.

"It was a long, three month honeymoon, sailing from one coast to another," I muse.

His finger traces the outline of my lips. "Yeah, but we sure found some fun and interesting ways to pass the time at sea."

"Yeah," I say all breathy, clenching my thighs eagerly because even nine months pregnant, this man gets me throbbing and soaking. "We sure did."

Edward gives me that bikini-bottom melting grin. "Ready to go sign a few papers an own an island now? My little diver needs a place to explore when he finally arrives."

I wrap my arms around his neck, straining to get as close to him as I can considering the protrusion between us.

"Not just yet. Little EJ isn't going anywhere for a few…" My eyes wander to the _Eclipse. _I watch Tanya, Seth, Paul and Jared wave goodbye to us as they walk away for a few hours of fun in the sun on the island of Key West before it's time to board again.

And then I look back at Edward. "First…how 'bout you take me below deck and remind me exactly how good a time your bulge had on that honeymoon cruise?"

He chuckles wickedly. "Oh, Beautiful Bella, that sounds like a serious plan."

THE END

* * *

**A/N: Thoughts?**

**Thanks so, so much to all of you for taking this little trip to the Southernmost point of the United States with me. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. ;)**

**As for what's next:**

**I'm preparing an outtake to Spin & Sway as a contribution to the **_**Fandom **__**for **__**Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (Fandom4LLS). **_**They're raising money for cancer research. For a small donation, you'll receive a compilation of new stories, one-shots and outtakes from some of your favorite authors. Please go to triple w dot Fandom4LLs dot blogspot dot com for more information, to donate, and to see the list of authors who pledged to donate stories. It's a nice list. **

**I'm also working on my next plot bunny, which should start posting sometime in late October or so. I'll have more information on that, as well as teasers, pictures and banners, coming in the next few weeks over on my fb page: 'Stories by PattyRose.' You can find a link to that on my profile.**

**Thanks and enjoy the rest of your summer!**


End file.
